42 SITs to probe violence-related cases swiftly in Manipur

At least 42 special investigation teams (SITs) will be set up that will investigate all the violence-related cases expeditiously in Manipur, Raj Bhavan sources said on Friday, 1 September.

Former deputy national security adviser DD Padsalgikar, who was appointed by the Supreme Court to monitor and supervise cases handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation and those to be investigated by the SITs, met Manipur governor Anusuiya Uikey and apprised her of the current status.

Raj Bhavan sources said that Padsalgikar informed the governor that to begin with, 42 SITs would be set up to investigate violence-related cases in Manipur expeditiously.

The former deputy national security adviser has been recently posted to Manipur.

“As far as the cases in the hill districts are concerned, Padsalgikar informed the governor that video conferencing facilities would be provided through BSNL and NIC to get the cases investigated,” the sources said.

According to Padsalgikar, the first status report of the investigation will be submitted to the concerned authority by the first week of October.

He said that he had visited many relief camps and met internally displaced people in the camps.

Padsalgikar requested the governor to take all possible steps to extend help to the people.

The governor stated that both the central and the state governments have taken up a necessary common programme of actions to extend help to the violence-affected people. Instructions have also been issued to concerned state machineries to provide help to these people, she said, adding that measures will be taken up to re-settle them in their respective areas at the earliest.

Meanwhile, the governor said, in discussion with the newly appointed inspector general of the CRPF in the Manipur and Nagaland sector, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, it was hoped that timely deployment of the central security forces could prevent the situation going from bad to worse.

In particular, the governor requested Singh to extend assistance to the violence-affected people who have been taking shelter in different relief camps both in the valley and hill districts.

The CRPF IG said that he is already well aware of the current crisis arising out of the ethnic clash.

“Further, the IG informed the governor that he would extend his fullest cooperation from his side to restore peace and tranquillity in the state, which was warmly reciprocated by the governor,” the Raj Bhavan sources stated.

Over 170 people have been killed and more than 700 injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on 3 May, when a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

During the ethnic strife in Manipur, approximately 70,000 adults and children belonging to different communities have been displaced and are now sheltered in 350 camps set up in schools, government buildings and auditoriums in Manipur.

Several thousand more have sought refuge in neighbouring states, including Mizoram.