CBI to probe Manipur fake encounter

Schools in the trouble-torn hill state continue to remain shut over the issue.

Even as the state government had accepted the Gauhati High Courts directive to hand over investigations into the alleged fake encounter case of July 23 that had sparked off massive protests in Manipur,schools in the trouble-torn hill state continue to remain shut over the issue.

While the Imphal Bench of the Gauhati High Court directed the state government to entrust the probe to the CBI,a Cabinet meeting of the Okram Ibobi Singh government on Tuesday reviewed the situation and agreed to abide by the courts order.

Two persons,including a former militant and a pregnant woman,were killed in an incident on July 23 at Khwairamband in Imphal,which the state police claimed as an encounter. A newspaper report,however,proved the incident to be a deliberate killing of the youth,which triggered off large-scale protests in the state.

While Apunba Lup,an umbrella body of 23 organisations has since demanded resignation of the chief minister and dismissal of the state DGP,three student bodies All Manipur Students Union (AMSU),Manipur Students Federation (MSF) and Kangleipak Students Association (KSA) launched a class boycott programme in to push for the same demand.

Several attempts by the government and other agencies,however,have failed to yield any result. Classes have remained suspended since September 9,and a government deadline for resuming classes from December 21 also failed to reopen the schools.