In July last year, the Supreme Court had handed over 41 cases of fake encounters to the CBI in which 86 people were killed by security forces.
Probing 29 cases of alleged fake encounters in Manipur on the directions of the Supreme Court, the CBI has for the first time booked an Army officer in connection with the killing of a 12-year-old boy in Imphal West in 2009.
Major Vijay Singh Balhara, who was then attached with Assam Rifles, along with seven other uniformed personnel, has been named as accused in the case of the killing of Azad Khan from Phoubakchao Makha Leikai area. Azad was allegedly shot in front of his parents in presence of 21 soldiers after being dragged out of his house.
Azad's father Wahid Ali had deposed before the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Santosh Hegde Commission “that his son… was killed by the personnel of Manipur Police Commando in a fake encounter after being picked up from his home” on March 4, 2009 around 11.50 am, according to the CBI.
The Commission, set up to look into allegations of fake encounters, had noted that an FIR was filed nearly two months before the alleged encounter under charges of attempt to murder and Arms Act, among others. Azad was then…
