|
PERPETRATORS
Unknown Hindi speaking
armed personnel in military uniform.
CIRCUMSTANCES OF
DISAPPEARANCE
On the intervening night of
4 and 5 June 1996, around 1 past midnight, some Hindi speaking armed
personnel in military uniform took him out of his house by force, without
giving any reason. Thereafter, he never returned.
SEARCH EFFORTS
A huge public outcry
followed. Protest rallies, hunger strikes, protest demonstrations were
held all over Manipur pressing the authorities to trace out Bijoykumar.
But the authorities turned a deaf ear to the widespread protests.
On 7 June 1996,
Bijoykumar's father moved a writ of Habeas Corpus, registered as
Civil Rule (HC) No.33 of 1996 in the Gauhati High Court, Imphal Bench. In
their counter affidavit, the security forces denied having arrested
Bijoykumar.
Then, the High Court
ordered the District and Sessions Judge, Imphal East, to conduct an
inquiry into the circumstances of the disappearance. After examining the
statements of the witnesses, the District and Sessions Judge submitted his
report and findings to the High Court on 20 March 1998.
As the report was not
brought before the High Court, a Division Bench of the High Court directed
the Registrar of the Imphal bench of the Gauhati High Court to make an
injury into the matter. On 8 December 1999, the Registrar reported that
the inquiry report was found missing from the custody of the High Court.
On 28 January 2000, the Division Bench directed the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) to investigate into the matter and reconstruct the
inquiry report.
PRESENT STATUS
At the time of filing this
report the CBI inquiry has not yet started. The whereabouts of Mr.
Laishram Bijoykumar is still not known. Advocate N. Koteshore is
representing his case in the High Court. |
