Manipur fake encounter case: Supreme Court reserves verdict

The Manipur fake encounter cases are being heard by the SC bench of Justices MB Lokur and UU Lalit.

New Delhi: Supreme Court on Friday reserved the order on pleas filed by former and serving army officers seeking a direction for the recusal of Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit from hearing the Manipur fake encounter cases. 

Earlier, the Centre extended its support to the plea by Manipur policemen in the Supreme Court who were chargesheeted in alleged fake encounter cases, seeking recusal of the bench from hearing the case.

The top court bench of Justices Lokur and Lalit then reserved the order on the plea.

During the hearing on the plea, Attorney General KK Venugopal told the court that the alleged reported remarks of the bench that these cops were "murderers" has affected the morale of police and armed forces.

Venugopal said the armed forces in Manipur are facing difficult times fighting insurgency and the court's remarks has completely shaken their morale.

The court, which is hearing a PIL seeking a probe into as many as 1,528 cases of alleged extra-judicial killings in Manipur, had on July 14 last year constituted the SIT and ordered lodging of FIRs and probe into them.