Silchar: The Gauhati high court has directed the Cachar district and police administration in Assam to keep the bodies of three Hmar youths, who were killed in an alleged police encounter, in the morgue of Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) until the next hearing on Friday (July 26).
The three Hmar youths, identified as Lallungawi Hmar (21), Lalbiekkung Hmar (33) and K Joshua Lalrinsang (35), were killed in an encounter with the Assam police in the Bhubah Hills under Lakhipur police station in Cachar district on July 17.
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A writ petition filed by Siemthang Hmar, Lalthavel Hmar, and Lalchunghnung led to a division bench of the Gauhati high court, comprising Justices Kalyan Rai Surana and Soumitra Saikia, asking the government lawyer to collect and submit the post-mortem report from the Assam police in a sealed cover by the next hearing.
The petitioners claimed the youths were arrested on July 16 from Ganganagar Part-VI, Krishnapur Road, and were killed in an extra-judicial execution after being taken from Kachudharam police station on July 17.
The petitioners also requested the post-mortems be conducted by doctors outside Assam.
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They stated that family members had been asked to collect the bodies from the morgue by July 24.
The Gauhati high court ordered the bodies remain in the morgue until further notice and instructed the senior government lawyer to obtain a police report and submit it in a sealed cover.
The families of the deceased filed an FIR on July 19 at Lakhipur police station in Assam, demanding an investigation into the incident.
On July 24, two women’s organizations—the Hmar Women Association (HWA) and the Kuki Women Organisation for Hmar Rights (KWOHR)—demanded the central government form a special investigation team (SIT) led by a Supreme Court judge to conduct a judicial probe into the alleged custodial killings.
In a memorandum, HWA president Rebecca Hmar and KWOHR president Ngaineikim Haokip accused a section of the Assam police of gross human rights violations and attempting to cover up the “extrajudicial killings”.
They called for a Supreme Court-monitored SIT to investigate the deaths of the three youths from the Hmar community.
“There has been a gross violation of human rights, fundamental rights, and the constitutional protection guaranteed to the people by a section of the Assam police. Disregarding the rules and procedures established by law, the Assam police has attempted to cover up the extrajudicial killings to protect itself despite compelling evidence,” the memorandum stated.