Manipur Human Rights Commission Orders Police to Submit Progress Report on Investigation into Excessive Force Used Against Student Protesters

State police have been ordered by the Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) to provide a progress report on the investigation into claims that security forces used excessive force to disperse student demonstrators in Imphal last week.

The MHRC also demanded that the police tell them who it was "under whose command" that the authorities allegedly used excessive force against the students.

The instructions were given by the MHRC's K.K. Singh and U.B. Saha on Tuesday in a three-page ruling that served as a notice to the state administration.

In response to two complaints, the commission investigated the alleged use of excessive force on September 26 and 27 to disperse students who were protesting the deaths of two Meitei students. Ningthoujam Jit Singh of Imphal West district and Mukul Phukon of Sivasagar district in Assam both filed complaints.

After the images of the Imphal kids who died on social media on September 25 and went missing on July 7 sparked protests in the Imphal Valley. Anger and demonstrations against the inappropriate use of force against innocent students were sparked when the security forces' attempt to quell the protest resulted in the injuries of over 100 students.

In response to claims that pellet guns were also used to put an end to the protests, the police declared last Wednesday that the security forces had used "minimum force" and "fired some tear gas shells" to disperse the student protestors.

The DGP of Manipur and security adviser Kuldeep Singh were both summoned to personally appear before the commission by the complainant Singh in order to explain why they had taken such "inhuman action upon the peaceful students rally" where "tender-aged boys and girls" had gathered to "express their solidarity" and to "demand justice" for the dead students and their families.

Phukon, on the other hand, had made reference to "viral photos" of "excess" use of force depicting members of the Jat Regiment (army) "severely assaulting a student by forcing him to lie flat on the road at Moirangkhom, Imphal West" in his complaint.

Phukon had also prayed that the bodies of the dead students' families would be given to "immediately recover" by the security adviser and the DGP.

Four people were detained by the CBI on Sunday in connection with the murder of the two missing students, but their bodies have not yet been found.

The Manipur DGP was instructed by the MHRC bench to "also submit status report regarding the enquiry being done by the enquiry authority on or before the next date (November 9)" when it issued notices to the respondents.

The bench stated that the DGP's formation of an inquiry committee on September 28 (headed by an officer at the IGP level) "to look into the various reports/allegations of use of excess force by the security forces during maintenance of law and order situations in the last few days in Imphal area" had been brought to their attention. Additionally, it seems from the press that the state government is in charge of taking care of the injured kids. As a result, we believe that at this time, it is not essential to call respondent No. 2 (the security adviser) and respondent No. 3 (the DGP) before this commission.