The Supreme Court presiding over the northeastern state of Manipur is expected to rule in late July on whether to fully investigate hundreds of deaths that might be linked to the security services.
While police deny any wrongdoing, human rights activists allege that a controversial law dating back to 1958 provided blanket protection to the Army and the Manipuri commandos to kill with impunity.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Supreme Court last year ruled that the alleged murders "must be investigated" and empowered relatives and human rights investigators to gather initial evidence for possible prosecution.
Why is there trouble?
The tension can be traced back to 1980 when the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was expanded to cover the entire state of Manipur to tackle the lawlessness created by four main insurgent groups, reports the Times of India.
Under the law, governments can declare a region or state as "disturbed" by reason of "differences or disputes between members of different religious, racial, language or regional groups." Security forces were given powers under the law, including the power to shoot civilians, for "maintenance of public order".
Manipur was declared "disturbed" due to an independence conflict.
What do the activists claim?
Though the AFSPA was scaled back in 2004 in parts of Manipur, the law has still been blamed for so-called "fake encounters", which the BBC describes as "staged confrontations which almost invariably end with dead criminals and unscathed police".
The Extra Judicial Execution Victim Families Association alleged in a court filing that the more than 1,500 deaths that occurred from 1979 until May 2012 were linked to the fake encounters. The court document was posted online by the Human Rights Law Network.
What do the officials say?
The Supreme Court in 2013 investigated six cases from among the more than 1,500 killings claimed by activists and found that "excessive force" had been used in some cases.
Security forces in the region insist that the numbers quoted (of more than 1,500) are too high: "There may have been a few cases where things had gotten to extrajudicial killings," Joykumar Singh, former Manipur Police Chief told the BBC. "But I do not think the number being quoted should be that many.
What happens next?
The Supreme Court in 2016 asked activists and relatives to collect evidence regarding the more than 1,500 cases alleged to have involved unlawful deaths. Evidence regarding 748 of the deaths was presented to the court in April.
At the end of July, the Supreme Court is expected to make a decision based on the evidence. If it orders a full investigation, the BBC reports that it may lead to police prosecutions.
-
August 31 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include FEMA's new scheme, Gavin Newsom's antics, and a clue in the Epstein files
-
Disarming Hezbollah: Lebanon's risky missionTalking Point Iran-backed militia has brought 'nothing but war, division and misery', but rooting them out for good is a daunting and dangerous task
-
Woof! Britain's love affair with dogsThe Explainer The UK's canine population is booming. What does that mean for man's best friend?
-
A private zoo run by Asia's richest family is facing criticism and investigationsUnder the radar The zoo is owned by Anant Ambani, the son of Asia's richest person
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Delhi's dogs earn Supreme Court reprieveIN THE SPOTLIGHT After an outcry from the public and animal rights activists, India's Supreme Court walks back a controversial plan to round the city's stray dog population into shelters
-
India's fake weddingsUnder The Radar New party trend promises all the fun of a wedding without any of the downsides
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
China looms large over India and Pakistan's latest violenceIN THE SPOTLIGHT Beijing may not have had troops on the ground, but as South Asia's two nuclear powers bared their teeth over Kashmir, China eyed an opportunity
-
Kashmir: India and Pakistan's conflict explainedThe Explainer Tensions at boiling point in the disputed region after India launched retaliatory air strikes on its neighbour
