Husband killed in fake encounter

Testimony of Smt. Ningthoujam (O) Adina Devi

I, Smt. Ningthoujam (O) Adina Devi aged about 30 years, W/O  (L) Ningthoujam Anand Singh, R/O Top Moirang Kampu Makha Leikai P.O. & P.S. Porompat, Imphal East District, 795010, would like to testify the happenings of the day my husband went away from home and later found killed in an encounter with the Police commandos. My husband was an innocent person and he was not involved in any kind of insurgency activity. He was carrying out contract works with his friends. He was good natured, caring and loving person when he was alive.

On 21^st January 2009, around 10-10.30 a.m, my husband received a phone call from a friend and he went out from our house with his friend Mahend on his scooter. My daughter saw him leaving with his friend Mahend. He did not return home till 2 p.m. and when I called him he did not received the call. Later, according to eye witness, he was arrested from the complex of Dhana Manjuri College North A.O.C along with his friend around 1 p.m. His scooter was taken inside the vehicle of the Police Commando and they were taken to the isolated area of Makhan Village at Senapati District. In the late afternoon around 5-5.30 p.m. Mr. Mahend and other friend of my husband came to our house and informed me that my husband has been arrested by the Police Commando for not possessing driving license and we should contact influential people for finding him and releasing him. I became very anxious and alarmed and informed my younger brother working in the IRB to start searching for my husband immediately. We contact many people in the Police to search for my husband, however, no one could locate where the Police have taken and hidden him. Much later we heard at 6 p.m. ISTV news that my husband along with his friend has been killed in an encounter with the Police Commando at Makhan Village.

The next day the Police commandos alleged in the news paper that my husband and his accomplice were cadres of KYKL and were carrying AK 47 rifle and ammunition at the time they were shot and killed and in the encounter. They were killed in the encounter when they were told to stop, instead they returned gunfire shots to the police personnel’s and in this crossfire they were killed. I was helpless and dumbstruck when I received the news of his death. I lost my consciousness on hearing that my husband is dead and would never be returning to us.

We collected his body from the morgue and performed his last rites. The government did not grant ex-gratia on his death. We did not seek for magisterial enquiry neither we cause any agitation in the form of bandh or rally on his death. Mr. Mahend who went away with my husband on the day he was killed alleged that he has no knowledge about my husband and was not in the company of my husband. We all know that my husband was killed on the instigation of his friends yet we decided not to take action against them.  The day my husband went out from the house, I never knew he will not return home. He was a simple person without any fault and wrong doings, so I thought he would return to us. I do not have any wrong suspicion on his movements and action, so he would return to us like he always does. He has no criminal records, I don’t know why he was killed so brutally by the policemen, without any fault from his side. According to eye witness, my husband and his accomplice were tortured at capital project site before they were taken to Makhan village for eliminating.

I suffered grievously for more than a year, I could not sleep and eat properly. I was traumatized and I had seizure on the left portion of my body. One day I had severe headache, my lips started quivering and I lost my consciousness, I became half paralyzed and remained in the hospital for more than two months. After discharging from the hospital, I underwent acupressure at home for two months. Now, my condition has changed considerably for good except for the left hand which have some difficulty in performing heavy quick work. Presently, I cannot feel tense and anxious, my voice would become hoarse, headache develops, difficulty in speaking & walking, and numbness develops on the left arm.  After the death of my husband, I felt like committing suicide thinking how to raise my two young children alone. My in-laws are good to me and my children, yet leading a life in the absence of my husband is very different. I do not own BPL card for getting the monthly ration. I have two children, the eldest son Avinash is 8 years old & is studying in standard II at North Eastern School. The youngest is Angelina aged about 6 years and is reading in standard one at R.K. Sanatombi. One of my children is receiving Rajiv Gandhi fellowship. I earn my living by running a grocery shop at Lamlong Bazaar. My maternal mother also has a shop just above the building of my shop, so I get security from any kind of untoward incident. I decided after few months of my husband’s death that it is no use to remain crying and sad at home. I have two children whom I have to raise and nourish them. They should not feel orphaned in the society when I am alive. I get discriminated on various accounts being a widow. I will stand for them and no one should discriminate my children as long as I am alive. 

I am a member of Guns survivor Network and recently I went to attend International meeting at New Delhi with one senior lady. We received invitation from Ms. Bina Laxmi Nepram and we attended the meeting on behalf of our network.  I get confidence and strength in joining this organization. I presented an opinion at the 6^th Occupancy day at G.M. hall and shared my opinion that the victim’s eliminated by the Commando’s suffered nothing after their death, the genuine sufferings are experienced by the survivors who are the mothers, fathers, wives (widows) & their young children. I was awarded Rs. 1000/ for my short astounding speech. I met other women survivor whose husbands and sons have been eliminated by State Forces in the gathering I attended. I share my sad story which reduces my pain and sorrow. I get confidence meeting my counterparts. I am living for my children, I feel I should be strong and confident in the society for them. I do not own BPL card separately as the house number is same with my in-laws.