Imphal, Nov. 5: The counsel for Th. Dolendro, younger brother of Thangjam Manorama, today demanded a CBI inquiry into her death and alleged rape in Assam Rifles? custody.
In his arguments before the C. Upendra Commission, which is probing the case, Dolendro?s counsel Koteshwar Singh said Assam Rifles? claim that Manorama was shot dead while trying to escape was a concoction.
Singh argued that the detection of semen on her garment during forensic examination had established beyond doubt that she was killed in custody after sexual abuse.
Describing the witnesses of Assam Rifles as ?unreliable?, the counsel urged the commission to order a CBI inquiry. ?Though no sign of rape was found in the vaginal swab taken during autopsy, the semen trace found during forensic examination on the petticoat Manorama was wearing at the time of her death has opened the room for a further probe by an independent agency like the CBI,? Singh said.
An army court was constituted to investigate the matter, but has yet to complete the probe.
Based on its preliminary findings, army chief General N.C. Vij refuted the charge that Manorama was raped before being shot. But after semen stains were detected on her petticoat, army authorities initiated DNA tests for 33 Assam Rifles personnel involved in the operation at Bamon Kampu on July 11.
The army court had sought the permission of the chief judicial magistrate, Imphal, for making a comparison of the DNA profile of the semen found on Manorama?s garment and the DNA profiles of the 33 Assam Rifles personnel. However, the chief judicial magistrate maintained that it had no jurisdiction in this matter. The army court then moved the high court.
Pointing out striking dissimilarities in the signatures of Manorama in the arrest memo and seizure memo, the counsel accused the Assam Rifles of forging her signature. While the arrest memo handed over to Manorama?s family stated that nothing was recovered from her house, the seizure memo later handed over to Irilbung police station stated that a hand grenade and a wireless set were recovered from her house.
After the hearing, Singh told this correspondent: ?As the inquiry commission has certain limitations, it will be very difficult to find the whole truth.
The evidences found by the commission could not be final. Therefore, an independent inquiry by an agency like the CBI is required if we are to reach the bottom of the case.?
Army counsel T. Prasad said in his argument that no evidence of rape was found during post-mortem.
?There was no evidence of torture barring three small bruises on the wrists and calf. The forensic examination did not detect any semen on the vaginal swab and the panty. The semen was found only on the petticoat worn above the panty and two slacks. Besides civilian witnesses made no credible charge that she was raped. The charge was made by vested interest to malign the security forces,? he argued.
