The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the CBI’s SIT, probing alleged extra-judicial killings and fake encounters by the Army, Assam Rifles and police in Manipur, for not registering the required number of FIRs as directed by it earlier.
The Apex Court, while putting searching questions to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) over the issue, directed them to lodge 30 more FIRs on or before January 31 this year, after the team said it has lodged 12 FIRs till date.
The Apex Court is hearing a PIl seeking probe into as many as 1,528 cases of extra-judicial killings in Manipur.
“FIRs have to be registered in every single case. It is the investigation that has to be carried out by you (SIT). After the investigation, you decide whether you will file the charge sheets or closure reports,” a bench comprising Justices Madan B lokur and U U lalit said.
The Top Court asked the SIT to complete its investigation in the 12 matters in which FIRs have already been registered, by February 28 this year.
“We make it clear that on or before January 31, 2018, all FIRs must be registered in respect of the remaining 30 cases as mentioned in the three tables that we have mentioned in the judgement dated July 14, 2017,” the bench said.
The court had on July 14 last year constituted an SIT comprising five CBI officers and ordered registration of FIRs and probe the alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur.
The bench, which perused the first status report filed by the SIT, had directed that all subsequent reports to be filed before it, should have the approval of the CBI director.
The bench also asked the CBI director to monitor the progress in the investigation and posted the matter for further hearing on March 12.