B Gamnom Killing: No Christmas for kins of innocent trio in Sajiwa jail

All houses in Motbung Model village were illuminated with varieties of lights and stars as every household decorated their respective houses to celebrate Christmas, the biggest religious festival among the Christian since it commemorated the birth of Jesus Christ.

However, one house in Motbung model village, remained dark as no decoration was done by the family as they did in the past years conveying that they have no festive mood because three of their family members were still enduring the wrath of injustice.

Kakai Singsit, the former ATSUM leader, said under the present circumstances it will be impossible for our family to celebrate Christmas as he began “Fast Unto Death (Hunger Strike)” stir demanding justice for the trio, Hentinseh Singsit, Henminlun Misao, and Seigoulun Singsit arrested and put behind the bar in connection with B. Gamnom killing.

A well-known activist among the tribal, Kakai Singsit is a relative of the trio who fights for justice to be delivered upon the three individuals as he claimed they were innocent with evidence.

Speaking to media persons, Kakai Singsit, who begins the ‘Fast Unto Death’ stir this morning at his Motbung residence said that this may not be the ideal time to protest because Christmas is around the corner when the whole world is in a celebrative or festive mood.

“But three of our family members, Hentinseh Singsit, Henminlun Misao and Seigoulun Singsit are still languishing in Sajiwa Jail for the past two months for a crime they did not commit or for a crime they are even remotely connected”, asserted Kakai while adding that under such miasmic circumstances it will be impossible for us to celebrate Christmas as no festive mood has been evoking in the family.

Rather, left, with the little option I have decided to undertake this fasting to show our strong resentment, indignation and unhappiness so that justice is delivered and the three of them vindicated, he added.

He continued that for the umpteen times we have enunciated their innocence with solid proof and evidence but to no avail, because justice seems only for the high and mighty or for people with clouts and influences while adding that if we are rich or have resources the three of them would have been released within a week but unfortunately this is not the case.

He then wondered does this means justice is only for the rich and the high and mighty?

Kakai Singsit also said that we had the high expectation that the various civil society organizations in the state, especially related to human rights will stand with us given the fact that the three of them are innocent beyond doubt and spearhead the fight for justice but sadly our expectations are belied.

He recalled that Hentinseh Singsit was at New Life Rehab center, Imphal when the firing incident occurred at B Gamnom village where three innocent people were killed and the same was corroborated by the inmates who stayed with him as well as the governing body but this important piece of evidence has been thrown to the wind for reason unknown.

He continued that Mangsat Haokip who was touted by the police to be the lynchpin of the whole firing episode was in Sajiwa Jail since August 11, 2021, for other reasons and the police had claimed that the three of them were working under him and he had provided guns to them to take part in that firing incident.

The question is how could a man who is in jail with full-proof security walk out of the jail unnoticed, take part in a heinous crime, and then return to his cell unnoticed? If Mangsat doesn’t have wings and had flown out of the jail then it is impossible that he will take part in the firing incident at B Gamnom village, he said.

He also said that this shows the unprofessional conduct of the police and whatever claimed they have made are riddled with lies, fabrication and whatever claimed they have made against the three are cooked up. They should have at least cross-checked their claims before coming out in the public, he added.

On Seigoulun’s Singsit minor status the Supreme Court Judgment on juvenile offenders (ref. Delhi High Court Division Bench, Court on its Motion VS Dept. of Women and Child Development and other, 2012) was brazenly ignored by the police department. The excerpts are produced verbatim….” wherefrom the young person from his/her looks appears to be below 18 years of age and also in all those cases where the arrest memo is stated to be 18-21 years. A preliminary inquiry on this behalf shall be undertaken of all these young persons whose age is stated to be up to 21 years of age on lines of the Supreme Court judgment in Gopinath Ghosh Vs. The state of West Bengal.”

It also underlines that “in those cases where there is proof in the form of school certificate/Date of Birth Certificate from the Municipal record etc., that should be acted upon immediately. In those cases where there is no documentary proof of age, ossification test of such persons be conducted and the matter reported on the next hearing.”

“If the parents are available, this inquiry should be made from them. The IO should ask the parents if they have got the DOB of the child registered with the MCD or Gram Panchayat etc. as provided under the law” he continued.

But for some unknown reason, all these strictures of the Highest Court were contemptuously thrown to the wind and the police came for these documents after a claim was made through the press of his minor age but it was two weeks too late.

“Ossification was done hastily without even trying to contact our family on the pretext of the paucity of time”, pointed out Kakai.

He further said that we also met the family of the deceased and asked them if they have any inkling of the involvement of the trio in the firing incident. They were emphatic that the police had arrested the wrong persons, he added.

Questioning the silence of the local MLA even after the lapse of two months even though the whole world knows that they are innocent, Kakai Singsit said that it is shocking that the local MLA chose to remain silent for reasons best known to him while adding that if he cannot stand for the truth and fight for innocent people of his constituency what is the meaning of his contesting election?

He said,  “I may be down but I am not out, I will fight till justice prevail upon the innocent trio and if something happened to me, the Government will be solely responsible”