The past catches up:

The past catches up:  SC ridicules Government for arguing against probing order of inquiry

Context

• The Supreme Court has reiterated the principle of accountability as an essential part of the rule of law by ordering an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation into more than 80 cases of suspected extrajudicial killings in Manipur.

The verdict over fake encounters

• In 2016, the court had ruled that the armed forces cannot escape investigation for moderation even in places where they enjoy special powers.
• The legal shield provided by the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, or AFSPA, will have to yield to the principles of human rights, the court reiterated.
• Even after this ruling on petitions demanding an inquiry into 1,528 deaths in counter-insurgency operations in Manipur, the Attorney General had argued against the court ordering an investigation into some specific instances.
• The Attorney General came up with the revolting argument that investigations conducted by the authorities in Manipur were biased in favour of the citizens owing to local pressure and the ground situation.
• The court stood steady in its assessment, condemning the suggestion that all inquiries were biased.
• Another upsetting aspect in the purview of human rights is that the National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) has been reduced to a “toothless tiger”.
• NHRC is grossly short-staffed despite its increasing workload, and many State governments show little respect for its guidelines and instructions.