Manipuri woman’s death: Probe slams Army for arrest, torture

Based on its findings, the report has also recommended action against AR personnel for flouting SC guidelines on keeping the local civilian administration informed before undertaking such operations, and not including a woman police official in the arrest of a woman suspect.

Manorama was arrested on the intervening night of July 10-11, 2004 — while her family claims she was taken away at 12.30 am, AR maintains it was 3 am.

According to the inquiry report, members of AR took Manorama away after issuing an “improper arrest memo”. Besides, it said, she was “never handed over to any police station, even though the Irilbung police station is just half a kilometre away from her house.”

No information about her arrest was given to local police or civil administration, the report added. The woman was found dead next day with “multiple gun shots and other injuries on various parts of her body, including genitals and thighs” about two kilometres from the local police station.

Providing a detailed description of how Manorama was beaten and sexually abused, the report found that the argument of the army’s counsel — there was no mention of torture in the FIR filed by the girl’s brother — was unacceptable when there is “consistent and unshakened evidence” supported by other family members.

The report noted that the AR team did not obtain any information about Manorama from local police before her arrest, and that no representative of local civil administration was co-opted during the raid, as is required by Supreme Court.

Although AR Commandant alleged that Manorama had been identified as an “Improvised Explosive Device expert” and had been involved in blasts that killed civilians and soldiers, the Irilbung police station officer-in-charge told the commission that there is no adverse report against her character and integrity.

According to Major N Dagar, an AR witness in the case, preparations for the raid began at 5 pm on July 10. However, the probe report noted, no member of the team informed Manipur Police or asked them to depute a woman police official to accompany it.

Terming the Army’s claim that a request had been made to the local police control room for a woman police official as a “naked lie”, the probe report said the two Manipur Police constables on duty that night had denied receiving any such request.

According to the commission, the AR Commandant also reportedly failed to file the list of personnel who were part of Manorama’s arrest operation; the arms register showing the entries for 10th and 11th July, 2004 as; the register showing ammunition issued to the arrest party; and the number of vehicles and their registration numbers used.

The commission also found 17th AR “reluctant” to cooperate in the investigation. Despite the police moving several applications, it was not allowed to examine the concerned personnel on “flimsy and unsustainable” grounds.