Amid demands to withdraw the contentious AFSPA from Manipur, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that prolonged stationing of armed forces in disturbed areas is bound to turn the security personnel brutal, resulting in fake encounters.
The comment by the apex court during hearing of a petition filed by families of victims of extra-judicial killings by Army and Manipur police, came in the backdrop of a judicial committee report submitted to Court which found six alleged encounters to be an act of cold-blooded murder perpetrated by Army and police against seven Manipuri youth who had no criminal history.
Taking serious view of the matter, the bench of Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Desai asked the Centre to take immediate steps to ensure the woes suffered by people of Manipur was recognised and the efforts are made for “real integration” of Manipur into the country.
Of the seven youths killed, one was a 12-year-old boy. The bench said, “These deaths reflect utter callousness, no respect for human rights and no respect for life.” The Court spared a thought for the security forces too observing, “We must see also that security forces, who are away from family for long periods, they get brutalised. If you keep them away in a place for 15-20 years, these things are bound to happen.”