Congress reiterates demand for ‘independent’ judicial probe into killing of ex-HNLC leader

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 3, 2021

The opposition Congress has asked the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government to ensure the judicial inquiry probing into the alleged killing of the former HNLC leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew on August 13, is totally independent.

Addressing media persons on Friday, Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said the party has been demanding for an independent judicial inquiry into the police firing incident.

“I believe the people have similar demands (which) revolve around an inquiry which we referred to as independent,” he said.

Sangma however said the very different circumstance involved in this particular incident is that “you are talking about an allegation of a fake encounter by the police”.

“Therefore, the inquiry if it has to be independent it has to be really independent…Now if the allegations revolve around the top officials will you expect the inquiry to be independent if the top officers against whom the allegations are directed are still in office? That is one how government has to look at if the inquiry has to be independent,” he said.

“I am talking in consistent with the provisions of law and on the expected lines as to how the authorities will have to act to ensure if the inquiry has to be independent completely insulated from external pressure, because you will have a number of police personnel of lower rank who will have to be questioned. Now will they really be free to speak and share the truth – all those things are required to be understood, therefore, I would confine my submission before all of you but I think this sends enough messages,” he added.

On the Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma’s stand to take action after receiving the inquiry report, the Congress leader said, “Precisely, further legal action should be taken once the inquiry is completed but even before having that inquiry report, to ensure that the whole process of inquiry is completely independent or in other words is not subjected to any external influence, how do you ensure that because the inquiry pertaining to this instant case revolves around the police personnel.”

He further added, “Now police personnel of different ranks, all those police personnel are expected to be question if one has to unearthed the truth and therefore, it is only the common sense which tells us that will the junior or the subordinates in the police organization will dare to give any statement which will be inconsistent with the fact or inconsistent with the truth. Therefore, the case is very different here. Once has to understand from that angle and therefore, if one is honest to ensure an independent inquiry then one must know how it should be done.”