SC summons CBI Director Alok Kumar Verma in Manipur extra-judicial killings cases

NEW DELHI: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Kumar Verma has been summoned by the Supreme Court in the Manipur extra-judicial killings cases after the agency failed to comply with the orders of the apex court.

Expressing its anger and displeasure over CBI's laxity in following its orders and failing to file charge sheets in seven cases of extra-judicial killings in Manipur, the Supreme Court bench of Justice Madan B Lokur and UU Lalit directed Verma to appear before it on June 30 (Monday) at 2 pm and explain the reasons behind the delay.

The court said it was "not satisfied" by the slow progress in the investigation and also directed to CBI Director to come up with a timeline about the investigation and its likely completion.

Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, appearing for the CBI, was told by the court that the CBI Director needs to appear before the bench and explain as the reasons behind the non-compliance in filing the charge sheets. The court issued the summons after the CBI failed to submit final investigation reports in four cases of extra-judicial killings by July 27 even though it had made a promise to do so. However, not a single charge sheet has been filed till date with the CBI seeking more time

Manipur, which has been an insurgency-hit state for the last several decades, has seen many encounters in which scores of alleged terrorists have been killed. Following allegations of many of the so-called encounters being fake, the CBI was entrusted with investigating extra-judicial killings in which Army, Assam Rifles and Manipur police personnel were involved.