Assam 'fake encounter' case: Gauhati High Court directs officials to 'keep bodies in morgue' after plea filed by families of victims

Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court on Wednesday directed Cachar district and police in Assam to keep the bodies of three persons belonging to Hmar community, who were killed in an alleged encounter involving the state police on July 17. 

The court ordered that the bodies be allowed to be kept in the morgue of Silchar Medical College Hospital till the next hearing on Friday (July 26). The families told the court that the police asked team to take the bodies by Wednesday. 

The court issued the order after family members of the victims filed a writ petition alleging that it was a case of "extra judicial execution." The petition was filed by Siemthang Hmar, son of L. Remsang Hmar, Lalthavel Hmar, son of Khuonga Hmar and Lalchunghnung, son of Tlangminhthang. The three families had on July 19 lodged an FIR in Lakhipur police station in Cachar district seeking an investigation into the incident.

The petitioners told the High Court that the three were arrested at around 4.30pm on July 16 from Ganganagar Part-VI area under Lakhipur police station in Cachar district by six police personnel but they were taken out in the early hours of July 17 and were killed in an extra judicial execution. Two deceased hailed from Cachar district and one were from Kuki-dominated Churachandpur district in conflict-hit Manipur. 

The petitioners also sought the High court's directive for conducting a post-mortem of the bodies by doctors outside Assam. 

After hearing the petition, the High Court issued notices to Assam government and police and asked the government counsel to collect the post-mortem report from police, if already done, and submit it to the court in a sealed cover by the next hearing on Friday. 

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on July 17 had posted on 'X' that three militants belonging to the Hmar community were killed by police during an operation in Cachar district. Sarma said two AK series rifles, one more rifle and a pistol were recovered during the operation.

Police said hours after their detention, they were taken to Bhuban Hills area situated along Assam-Mizoram border for a search operation. Some other militants, who were hiding inside the hills, opened fire at the police team prompting the forces to retaliate. The three died on the spot.

The family members and several organisations representing the Hmar-Kuki-Zomi communities, however, rejected the claim and demanded an impartial investigation into the incident. On Wednesday, several organisations in Manipur and Assam staged a protest demanding an investigation.