CBI books Army major for 2009 fake encounter in Manipur

The CBI’s move comes after the Supreme Court on July 14 directed the agency to go through the records of the alleged encounter in 2009 in Manipur.

The CBI has taken over the probe into the killing of a 12-year-old boy as part of the Supreme Court-mandated investigation into fake encounters in Manipur and booked an army officer in the case.

The CBI has registered a murder case against Army major Vijay Singh Balhara and seven others in the killing of a 12-year-old boy in Manipur in an alleged “encounter” in 2009, the agency said on Thursday. (Representative Image/Reuters File Photo)

So far the agency has registered 29 FIRs in connection with fake encounters in Manipur.

Major Vijay Singh Balhara was with the Assam Rifles at the time of the encounter, said CBI.

The family of Azad said the boy, a student of class VII, had no criminal antecedents and he was allegedly picked up from his home before being killed on March 4, 2009.

HT has seen the FIR registered by the CBI.

The case was initially registered by the Manipur police. Now the CBI has been asked to take over the probe.

Besides Major Balhara, seven other security personnel too have been named as accused in the case.

The case was reviewed by a Supreme Court- appointed commission led by retired apex court judge Santosh Hegde which termed it as a fake encounter. The army officer too had deposed before the commission.

On July 30, the Supreme Court had asked CBI director Alok Verma to appear in person and explain as to why the probe into Manipur encounter cases have a slow pace.

The director has been called again by the top court on August 20 to tell the court on progress made by the agency in probe into the encounter cases.