New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on a writ petition by parents of a youth who was killed in a road rage case in 2011 involving Ajay Meetai, the Chief Minister’s son.
A vacation Bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Navin Sinha sought response from the BJP-ruled state by May 29 after the petitioner, Irom Chitra Devi, mother of Irom Roger, and women’s rights activist Binalakshmi Nepram sought protection alleging the family feared for their safety.
It was submitted that Ajay Meetai, son of the chief minister, has been awarded five years jail term under section 304 (culpabale homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC for firing at Roger in a road rage incident on March 20, 2011. Roger had allegedly not allowed Meetai to overtake him in his SUV. The incident irked Meetai who fired at Roger who later died.
It was alleged that the Chief Minister had misused police raids at the victim’s and Bina’s home, disconnected electricity to the house of the victim’s mother, illegally detained her brother, used threats from terrorist ground to intimidate her and then called for a compromise, which she refused.
The petitioners said that the state machinery is acting in a high handed, illegal, biased and arbitrary manner.
They were denied access to justice when they approached the lawyers in the High Court of Manipur at Imphal to file an appeal against the judgment of the sessions judge, Imphal (West), where the CM’s son has been convicted for the murder. The issue regarding the threat and victimisation of the petitioners and their family members has come out in the public media.
It was alleged that they are being continuously threatened at the behest of the CM, who is the only interested party. The situation in Manipur, as alleged in the writ petition, is very politically charged and hostile towards the petitionersand they are unable to approach the HC.
