Justice Demanded: Manipur High Court Pressures NIA for Swift Action in Jiribam Killings

The Manipur High Court has issued a stern directive to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to submit a charge sheet within one month concerning the gruesome killings of three women and three children in Jiribam last November. This directive was issued by a division bench consisting of Chief Justice K Somasekhar and Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh while hearing a pertinent Public Interest Litigation.

The court indicated dissatisfaction with the current pace of the investigation. It recorded that although the First Information Report (FIR) set the legal process in motion, a conclusive charge sheet has yet to be filed against the suspects. The Centre's legal counsel reported that the investigation is nearing completion, presenting two sealed envelopes with detailed progress reports to the court.

Explicit instructions were given that a detailed report corresponding to a charge sheet must be submitted within a month under the relevant legal provisions. The court emphasized that a lack of progress would be taken seriously, with the next hearing scheduled for August 28. This case centers around the abduction and subsequent killing of the six individuals during an attack on a security camp in the Borobekra area of Jiribam.

(With inputs from agencies.)