The bodies, which were kept in the morgue of Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), were handed over to the families on Saturday and buried in Cachar’s Hmarkhawlien area in the evening with Christian rituals

Bodies of 3 Hmar youth handed over to the families (HT Photo/Sourced)

Silchar: Twenty-five days after an alleged police encounter in Assam’s Cachar district, where three suspected militants belonging to the Hmar tribe were killed, the family members received their bodies on Saturday, maintaining justice has not been served yet. 

Two of the deceased youths were residents of Cachar, while one was from Manipur’s Churachandpur district. Police said that they died after an encounter between other militants, but the family members claimed that it was an extrajudicial killing.

The post-mortem reports showed the trio suffered bruises and other wounds prior to their deaths.

The family members initially refused to receive the bodies and filed a petition in Gauhati high court seeking justice. After several rounds of hearings, the high court on July 7 asked the police to hand the bodies over to the family members.

The bodies, which were kept in the morgue of Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), were handed over to the families on Saturday and buried in Cachar’s Hmarkhawlien area in the evening with Christian rituals.

The family members said they wanted to take the bodies to their native villages to perform the last rites, but they were suggested by the local administration to complete it in Hmarkhawlien.

“We are not happy with this, but we followed their instructions because we didn’t want any further tension. We are still waiting for justice to be served,” the family members said.

35-year-old Joshua Lalringson of Manipur’s Churachandpur, along with two Assam residents, Lallungawi Hmar (21) and Lalbikung Hmar (33) were arrested with a large amount of firearms in Cachar on July 16, and later on the same day, they were killed, according to the police.

Police said that during an investigation they were taken to the Bhuban Hill area near the Assam-Manipur border, where some militants attacked from the forest, and these three died in cross-firing.

However, a controversy arose after the statement of Assam Police and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma mismatched.

Sarma said that Cachar Police killed three Hmar militants from Assam and Manipur, while the superintendent of police (SP) of Cachar, Numal Mahatta, said that the three militants were killed in an encounter with other militants.

He also said that the arrested militants were wearing bulletproof jackets and helmets, but still they sustained bullet injuries and died.

Several tribal organisations, including Hmar Inpui and Hmar Students’ Association, raised questions against the encounter of three Hmar youths and demanded an unbiased investigation.

The apex body of the Hmar tribe across the northeast, Hmar Inpui, said that the killing of the three youths within 24 hours of arrest was a cold-blooded killing, which was translated as ‘encounter’ by the Assam Police.

“After the arrest with their alleged weapons, how can the Assam Police exercise their ‘right of private defense? The act is an utter disregard to the judicial institution by persons who are expected to uphold the supremacy of law,” they stated.

They said that the alleged extrajudicial killing is unlawful, inhumane, unnecessary, and illegitimate. “This is purely state-sponsored terrorism. Extrajudicial killings should have no place in a liberal and rights-respecting democracy,” they added.

The family members later said that they won’t receive the bodies until the police personnel involved in the alleged extrajudicial killing are suspended and arrested. However, on Saturday they said that they are satisfied with the postmortem report and they believe in the judiciary.

“We have faith in the high court, and we are hopeful that we’ll get justice one day,” they said.