Consider security for road-rage victim’s parents, SC tells government

New Delhi, May 30 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Central government to consider providing security to the parents of Irom Rojer, killed in 2011 in a road rage case by the son of present Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, and now alleging that state police was acting in an illegal and arbitrary manner.

Biren Singh in 2011 was Sports Minister in the government of the then Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh when Irom Rojer was killed in a road rage case by his son Ajay Meetai.

Observing that "nobody has the courage to make allegation against chief minister without any reason", the vacation bench of Justice A.K.Sikri and Justice Deepak Gupta said: "If they want protection then they should be given. There should not be any problem in providing security to them."

The vacation bench granted one week time to Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh as he said that he needed to take instructions from the government.

He said that that providing security to the petitioner parents and others would depend on the evaluation of threat perception to them.

However, Manipur government on Monday informed the top court that they have no problem in providing security cover to the petitioner parents who have alleged that they feared for their safety.

Alleging illegal and arbitrary actions by Manipur Police, the parents - Irom Chitra Devi and Irom Lokendra Singh - are currently residing in Delhi.

Seeking security by the Centre, the petitioner parent's counsel Kamini Jaiswal told the court that they were residing in Delhi out of fear for their safety in Manipur.

The matter will come up for hearing on June 5.

Besides Rojer's parents, other petitioners Binalakshmi Nepram and Chandigarh-based advocate Utsav Singh Bains too have sought protection from the state machinery which they have contended was acting in an "arbitrary and illegal manner" allegedly at the behest of the present Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio.

Seeking directions for the security for Rojer's parents, the petition has sought probe by an independent investigating agency into the alleged threats by the banned People Liberation Army (PLA) and other outfits.

Following the death of Rojer on March 20, 2011, Meetai was tried by the sessions court, convicted for culpable homicide not amounting to murder and sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10 lakh.