The curious case of MS Chohan

 Did missing Arunachal IPS officer fake his own kidnapping?



M.S. Chohan and his locked Mehram Nagar home.

The case of "missing" IPS officer M.S. Chohan is getting murkier.

On Monday, it was revealed that Chohan, who disappeared on October 16 while on his way to Tawang from Itanagar, had faked his kidnapping.

He was traced on Sunday morning to his residence - C-39, police colony, Mehram Nagar - in the Capital, which he reached by road, taking lifts from trucks and buses, his neighbours said. They added that Chohan hadn't spoken to his family for the last 10-15 days and wasn't aware that they had shifted from Mehram Nagar, where they lived for a decade.

"He came to his house around 8.30 am on Sunday and found the door locked. Then he came to our house and asked where his family was. We called up his mother, Shakuntala, who had shifted to Dwarka some 10 days ago with her daughter. Till the time his mother came, he sat and chatted with us," said a neighbour who knows Chohan's family for the last 20 years.

"He told us he took the road route to Delhi and that's why he took so long to come," the neighbour added.

Chohan and his family refused to talk about his whereabouts.

Shakuntala said: "My son got home on Sunday and is physically and mentally unwell and is resting. We're worried about his health. We can't let him talk to anybody."

According to his relatives, Chohan is depressed. He is separated from his wife, who was named in the fake pilot scam. His son, too, lives separately.

Chohan, superintendent of police of the special investigation cell in Arunachal Pradesh, was appointed by the Gauhati High Court to probe the multi-crore PDS scam in the state in 2008.

The Arunachal Pradesh Police were also inquiring into his disappearance. They have now issued a statement saying that Chohan - who was with constable Virendra Kumar and inspector Mohan Kaye before he disappeared - wasn't abducted but was dropped at Tezpur on his own orders.

Arvind Deep, inspector general of police, said: "An operation was launched to trace Chohan." On sustained questioning, Kumar revealed that Chohan had been dropped at Tezpur. Kaye also admitted the same later.

Kaye and Kumar also disclosed that Chohan had instructed them to fabricate the story that he had gone missing. "After knowing the truth, we sent an investigating officer to Delhi to question him," Deep said.

Chohan confessed to faking his kidnapping to the officer and his statement was recorded. The matter has now gone to the home ministry and the appellate authorities will decide on suitable action.

Chohan had recently been transferred to Delhi - he was relieved this month - after having served in Arunachal for eight years.

Policemen who know him well said he didn't want to go to the Capital. According to sources, Chohan was facing a vigilance inquiry in Arunachal Pradesh and feared the same might haunt him in Delhi too. He had delayed filing the chargesheet in the PDS scam by two-and-a-half years.

On Monday, Chohan was taken to RML hospital's psychiatric ward, an Arunachal officer said.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ips-officer-ms-chohan-kidnapping-drama-arunachal-pradesh-delhi/1/225976.html

Mizoram's First Football League Begins

Aizawl, Oct 25 : The much-awaited Mizoram Premier League began today with Chanmari FC and Luangmual FC playing the first match at Assam Rifles ground here.

After a ceremonial kick-off by India's football hero Baichung Bhutia at Chanmari YMA Hall on Monday night, the state's first football league was "inaugurated" by Sports Minister Zodintluanga in a short ceremony enriched with musical show.

Zodintluanga praised the Mizoram Football Association's tireless efforts and the ZONET cable TV network's for investing Rs 1.25 crore to start the state's largest football tournament ever.

Observing that the Congress government has answered the youths' cries for good playground, Zodintluanga challenged the youths to explore their talent in football.

Veteran Dutch footballer and AIFF's technical director Rob Baan, who was present at the opening ceremony, said he was impressed with the development of football in Mizoram during the last few years.

"You have world-class artificial turfs laid on three football grounds," he said and expressed optimism that the development of football in Mizoram would push up India's position in the FIFA's rankings.

The MFA has recently signed a Rs 1.25-crore five-year deal with Zonet Cable TV Network to start the new football league.

Speaking on the occasion, Zonet managing director K Lianzuala said the Rs 1.25 crore investment was a foolish idea from the business point of view. "However, if the MPL helps increase the number of Mizo footballers in India's football clubs and national and international level footballs, that will be counted as profits," he said.

Saying that the success of football tournaments largely depended on the number of spectators, MFA honorary secretary Lalnghinglova Hmar urged the public to watch every match of the league.

The first match ended in a draw with one goal each.

Barak Valley Students Send Memorandum Against Mizoram Harassment

Karimganj (Assam), Oct 24 :  Barak Valley-based NGO Youths Against Social Evils (YASE) on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee in protest against what they described as "recent incidents of harassment" of daily wage labourers and business men from other states in neighbouring Mizoram.

The YASE submitted the memorandum through the Deputy Commissioner of Cachar district in Assam. According to the memorandum, labourers and businessmen who have been residing in Mizoram with the valid Inner Line Permits and licenses have faced harassment during recent months at the hands of various outfits.

Asking for protection of businessman and labourers with valid permits, the memorandum also said that outfits in Mizoram have in many instanced demanded 'donations' and money from such people.

It sought the intervention of the President to ensure the safety and security of the non Mizo workers and traders in the hill state.

YASE also demanded that Inner Line Permits should be checked only by Mizoram administration and not by any other outfit.

Assam Boxer Creates World Record

Guwhati, Oct 24 : Assamese boxer Abhijit Baruah, 23, who is already a world record holder, has created another record – throwing 329 punches in one minute.

This current Guinness World Record holder from Assam, achieved his new world record recently in front of thousands of cheering fans.

He will now be performing in London in December in front of observers from the Guinness World Records.

"I feel good as it is my second record, and the first in Boxing. I always wanted to participate in boxing at the Olympics. In the past few months, I have been training in Guwahati and Kolkata. After this, I will be performing in London for two events and then will make my way to Olympics to win a medal there. I want the support and good wishes of the people of Assam," said Baruah.

Baruah practiced  eight to ten hours daily for this record and his attempt was closely monitored by the people from Asia Book and India Book of Records.

Both have recognized Abhijit as the boxer with fastest hand speed in the world.

He will be featuring in the 2013 edition of the record book.

"He has created a new world record. He punched 329 full contact punches in one minute and it was amazing. He has done very well," said Rinki Tomar, an official of the India Book of Records.

A cop with Assam Police, the 23-year-old athlete earlier this year ran nonstop for 156.2 km in 24 hours.

The entire region is proud of Baruah's achievements.

Northeast Border Residents Complain Over Apathy By Govt

New Delhi, Oct 24 : Residents of Bumla district in northeastern Arunachal Pradesh are demanding an end to corruption and complained of apathy towards them by the state government.

Bumla is located at around 37 kilometres from Tawang, which China claims as 'southern Tibet.'

Most experts agree there is little danger of a conventional war breaking out between India and China, but chances of clashes at the border are a real risk that could make solving the border dispute difficult.

A student, Chirin, expressed his dissatisfaction over the role played by the government, demanded a CBI enquiry against every department and said that the residents are faced with several problems.

"We have supported and loved India, we voted for them but in return the Indian government did nothing for us. The funds provided by the Indian government for the area are all engulfed by the local MLAs. CBI is necessary here. There should be mediapersons here. Enquiry should be done," said Chirin.

People of the district complained about the poor road infrastructure, lack of technology, schools and colleges.

Tourism has dropped since the army started widening the road to Tawang, painstakingly slow work that can only be done during a four-month window between winter and the rainy season, Across Arunachal, anger is rising as educated youth feel forgotten by India, as they look across the more-developed Chinese side.

Mustak Singh, a leader, said the condition of the roads is appalling, and tourism in the state has declined, as a result.

"This area is so beautiful but the road conditions are so terrible here. It's a good tourist destination but since two years there had been no tourism here because of the poor road infrastructure. A tourist from Kolkata calls me to ask whether the road conditions have improved or not. I said its still in progress. He replied saying that he wants to come to Tawang but due to road problems he is not coming," said Singh.

The residents claimed that government funds were not being used correctly as far as development of the area was concerned.

China has vastly improved roads and infrastructure on its side, facilitating its military movements, and has placed advanced, nuclear-capable intermediate range missiles in the Tibetan area, according to a 2010 U.S. Department of Defence report.

In 2008, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Arunachal for the first time and promised four billion dollars to build rail and road infrastructure, set to make troop movement easier.

But a 20-hour, 500-km (300-mile) rattling drive up to Tawang from the region's biggest city Guwahati provides proof of India's neglect of one of its most strategic border states. It still has no airport, power supply is erratic and telecommunications unreliable.

Despite decades of mistrust, China is now India's biggest trade partner. Bilateral trade that soared to $74 billion in 2011 from just a few billion dollars a decade ago underlined the importance of better relations between the Asian neighbours.

Mizo Border Villagers Want Burmese Out By October

By Linda Chhakchhuak

Aizawl, 24 : The Joint Action Committee of Vaphai, on the Indo-Burmese border in Champhai district today issued a deadline asking Mynmarese foreigners settled on their land to leave before October 31 or face eviction.

In what looks like a sheer case of border mismanagement by the authorities, beleaguered border residents have decided to take matters into their own hands.

The JAC has asked all Indian citizens to shift to other locations already earmarked for their rehabilitation by the Vaphai village council.

The Council has issued an eviction notice to the Mynamarese settlers, constituting 21 families, to leave the locality of Saikhumphai. This order was also issued by the Local Administration Department of the Government of Mizoram in February 2011.

These 41 Indian families are also allegedly doubtful citizens as it is an open secret that their names appeared in 2011 electoral rolls helped by politicians seeking votes.

The chairman of the JAC, C Zakanglova told a press conference at the capital today that the deadline was issued as the village had come under the control of foreigners who had been sheltered as neighbours at Saikhumphaibawk. They have asked for partition of the village lands under a separate Village Council seeking control of Vaphai’s most fertile and best lands on the banks of the river Tiau.

The JAC chairman also said the sensitive border hamlet has now become a free-way for Burmese traders, soldiers, and a hotbed of drug and arms smuggling.

Indian citizens of Vaphai can hardly tend to their own jhum fields or fish in the rivers as the foreigners have no qualms about using armed intimidation, he said. He also said that the foreigners have deforested the best forests as the locals could not guard against their plunder.

The JAC said that the locality had grown as a temporary shelter for wage labourers from the other side of the border working for Vaphai citizens since 1987.

“As long as they were peacefully living as good citizens of our village we sheltered them because though they are foreigners from Myanmar we consider them our own kins looking for some livelihood on Indian soil. But if they are playing a land-grabbing game then we will not allow this to happen,” said members of the JAC.

He rued that these foreigners, had claimed that their rights were being violated. “It is in fact the opposite. It is our human rights that is being violated by foreigners who are grabbing our land and creating a conflict in our peaceful land,” Zakanglova said adding “They are not refugees as they claim but economic migrants,” he said.

Corruption Slur On Manipur Govt

Guwahati, Oct 24 : The conflict-ridden state of Manipur records over 3,000 children who have been victims of armed conflicts or ethnic clashes, who are orphans and those who have been diagnosed with HIV and AIDS. However, the state does not have any functioning Juvenile Justice Board, a rights body said.

Releasing a report on Manipur at Guwahati on Monday, the Asian Centre for Human Rights, also asserted that "juvenile justice has been suspended in Manipur by the Union women and child development ministry because of corruption and misuse of resources".

“The Manipur government stated that the Juvenile Justice Boards have been set up at all the nine districts of the state and that the Project Approval Board for the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) of the Union ministry of women and child development, in its 14th meeting on 22 February last year, had approved grants for all nine of them. However, as the state government failed to establish the justice boards and approval boards, the Union ministry had stopped funding the state government since January 2012,” said Mr Suhas Chakma, director of the Asian Centre for Human Rights.

“The service delivery for institutional care is an astounding case of total misuse of resources. For the first grant under the ICPS, which was for 2009-2010, the complete grant was shown to have been utilised by the state government even though no staff had been appointed to the State Project Support Unit, State Child Protection Society (SCPS), etc.," he added.

According to officials of the Manipur government, "equipment had been purchased in advance". "It is clear that the funds provided for offering services to children have been diverted for equipments,” Mr Chakma said.

The New Delhi-based rights body also stated that the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 prevails over any other national security legislation, including the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958. However, the Central security forces do not have any knowledge about the JJ(C&PC) Act while children are being regularly apprehended, detained and subjected to torture with many being killed in fake encounters of clear violations of the Act.

“We have recommended to the Manipur government to issue a direction to

the Army and paramilitary forces who are legally bound to operate in aid of and under the civil administration to ensure full respect and compliance with the JJ(C&PC) Act while dealing with children and to operationalise the existing Special Juvenile Police Units and Juvenile Justice Boards,” he said.

The rights body also recommended to the Union ministry concerned to conduct an inquiry into the misuse of resources for purposes other than stipulated, including non-appointment of the staff under the ICPS and develop guidelines to ensure that the ICPS funds are non-divertible and non-lapsable.

SC Notice To Centre On Withdrawal of AFSPA From Manipur

By Dhananjay Mahapatra

New Delhi, Oct 22 : The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the Centre and Manipur government on a PIL seeking withdrawal of Armed Forces (Special Power) Act from the state on the ground that it allowed military to use lethal force in brazen violation of human rights resulting in death of hundreds of innocent people.

A bench of Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana P Desai sought response from the Centre and the Ibobi Singh government on the petition by former Director of Manipur Health Services Th Suresh Singh, who said, "People of Manipur are not against Armed Forces and in fact majority desires the Army to protect them against external aggression but everyone is against AFSPA which has been often misused."

The petitioner also sought quashing of a notification declaring the entire Manipur as a disturbed area except for the municipal limits of Imphal saying, "In the name of disturbed area status, widespread deployment of armed forces has created an alarming environment in which exceptions have become the rule."

"The legal mechanism has failed to ensure remedial measures relating to abuse or misuse of powers by the Armed Forces personnel, who are not held accountable for their illegal and inhuman actions robbing the citizens of their most basic right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution," said the petition filed by S Biswajit Meitei and Ashok Kumar Singh.

On October 1, the same bench had taken serious note of a PIL, which alleged that there had been apathy on both the Centre and Manipur government's part to bring to book the guilty among armed forces and state police, which were responsible for 1,528 extra-judicial killings over the last 30 years.
This PIL by two NGOs had given details of each of the 1,528 people killed in fake encounter since 1979 and said though the apex court had upheld the constitutional validity of AFSPA 15 years ago, it had issued certain dos and don'ts to the security forces but these were seldom followed.

However, Suresh Singh's petition said though there had been on paper compliance of the judicial mandate to periodically review the necessity of extension of AFSPA in Manipur, "authorities/governments concerned are doing the same in a routine mechanical way without reflecting on the ground situation probably to serve their vested interests".

"Actual encounters between the armed forces and the insurgents/militants are very limited. State police force alone can tackle the present problem effectively if sincere efforts were made," he said. "The state is not as disturbed or in dangerous condition so as to form an opinion that the use of armed forces is necessary in aid of civil power," he added.

To support his plea for withdrawal of AFSPA, the petitioner quoted ex-Army chief V K Singh, who had said that the image of Manipur being a violent state was not seen any more nowadays.