Asian Centre for Human Rights

Subject: Complaint against torture of Nanwe Bishop Lamkan, 44, LV Bongshot, 42, and SN Shumthot, 20 by the 33rd Assam Rifles personnel at Charangching Khunou village under Chandel district of Manipur

Dear Justice Anand,

I am writing to seek the intervention of National Human Rights Commission against the torture of three innocent villagers of Charangching Khunou village under Chandel district of Manipur on 21 March 2003. Two of the three tortured victims are women.

The Jawans belonging to the 33rd Assam Rifles conducted a search operation of the Charangching Khunou village. During the search operation, three victims who have been identified as Nanwe Bishop Lamkan, 44, LV Bongshot, 42, and SN Shumthot, 20 have been beaten up by the Assam Rifles. The security forces also did not allow villagers to move out from their village from 4 am till 9:30 am.

I shall be grateful if the NHRC could kindly intervene by taking the following measures:

1. Direct the Ministry of Home Affairs to conduct a full inquiry into the torture of the victims and submit the report to the NHRC;

2. Direct the Ministry of Home Affairs to take exemplary disciplinary action against the guilty Assam Rifles personnel and

3. Direct the Ministry of Home Affairs to pay compensation of Rs 50,000 to each of the victims and the same is recovered from the concerned Assam Rifles personnel.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely

Suhas Chakma
Director