Plea by 750 Army men challenging CBI probe into encounter at Manipur rejected by SC

New Delhi, Nov 30: The Supreme Court has rejected a petition filed by 750 Army men who had questioned a decision to allow a CBI probe into the encounter deaths in the AFSPA invoked Manipur.

Earlier the Centre had backed the plea by the Army officers against the persecution by various agencies.

They had complained to the Supreme Court against the persecution by agencies like the CBI and said that they were only doing their duty in states of the North East and Jammu and Kashmir. The plea was filed in the backdrop of the Manipur alleged fake encounter case.

The Centre told the court that the fact that soldiers of our country have to make such a prayer in court itself is unfortunate. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that the Centre would like to be heard in the case as it is unfortunate that over 350 soldiers are seeking protection from litigation for engaging in encounters in AFSPA operating areas.

It may be recalled that the Supreme Court had last year directed a probe by the CBI into the alleged extra-judicial killings by the Army, the Assam Rifles and the Manipur Police in the insurgency-hit State.

The court was hearing a PIL seeking probe and compensation in the alleged 1,528 extra-judicial killings in Manipur from 2000 to 2012 by security forces and police.

"In every military operation, the Army cannot be disbelieved. Every judicial inquiry cannot be against the Army. The alleged extra-judicial killing cases in Manipur are not cases of massacre, rather these are cases of military operations," the Centre had told the court.