The Manipur High Court has directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to submit a detailed progress report on the murder of six civilians, including three minors, in Jiribam district in November last year.
The directive was issued by a division bench comprising Chief Justice K Somashekar and Justice A Bimol Singh on Monday while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by one Soram Tekendrajit.
During the hearing, the High Court took serious note of the NIA’s failure to make any significant progress in the case and cited that the incident took place in November 2024.
“The incident occurred on 11.11.2024 and on the same day, an FIR was registered by the competent authority. However, till date, no progress report has been submitted by the concerned investigation agency under Section 167 of the CrPC,” the court pointed out.
“The counsel of the case seeks a short adjournment on the premise that he wants to submit a detailed progress report in terms of chargesheet. If the chargesheet is not filed, this matter should be viewed seriously,” the court said.
Directing the NIA to submit a detailed progress report, the bench scheduled the next hearing for July 24.
On November 11, 2024, a gunfight broke out between security forces and armed Hmar men in Jiribam’s Jakuradhor and Borobekra area, close to the hills of neighbouring Hmar majority Pherzawl district. The incident left 10 Hmar men, suspected to be militants, dead while six Meitei people living in a relief camp went missing.
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All of them, three women and three children, from the same family, were reportedly abducted by armed militants.
Days after their abduction, the bodies of the six victims were fished out from the Jiri river in Jiribam district and the Barak river in Cachar district. The victims are identified as Yumrembam Rani Devi (60), Telem Thoibi Devi (31) and her daughter Telem Thajamanbi Devi (8), Laishram Heithoibi Devi (25) and her two children – Laishram Chingkheinganba Singh (two-and-a-half years old) and Laishram Lamnganba (10 months old).
