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NEW DELHI: The CBI registered two fresh cases in Manipur encounters on Tuesday, with an Army Major named in one of the FIRs for killing a 12-year-old boy, Azad Khan, in an encounter in March 4, 2009.

This is the first of 29 FIRs registered by CBI so far, in which an Army officer has been named as an accused. Major Vijay Singh Balhara, then attached with Assam Rifles, along with seven other uniformed personnel has been named as accused in the killing of Khan.

Azad’s case was termed as a “fake encounter” by SC appointed commission led by Justice (Retired) Justice Santosh Hegde. Azad, a student of class VII with no criminal antecedents was allegedly picked up from his home before being killed, the commission had stated.

An FIR was registered nearly two months before the alleged encounter under sections of attempt to murder, Arms Act and other stringent charges. “According to the security forces’ evidence, the deceased was suspected to be a member of the Peoples United Liberation Front (PULF),” it said, adding that PULF was not a banned organisation, according to Manipur government.

Azad’s family had said that he was at home when about 30 security personnel came to the house and dragged Azad to a nearby field where he was beaten up amid protests from parents, the commission added.

His parents and friends said that after being beaten up, he was shot by one of the commandos and a pistol was thrown near the body, it said.

Their members was supported by relatives, it said.

Police had claimed that it got input of terrorists’ movement in Azad’s village to extort money from people. When they reached they found two persons running through bamboo groves firing at them.

An encounter ensued after which body of the boy was found and a pistol was recovered, it said.

