SHILLONG: Independent legislator Rophul S Marak, cousin brother of Balsan S Marak, the under trial prisoner who died in judicial custody, said that he would file a case against the West Garo Hills SP MK Singh in the High Court even as he demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
Rophul, a Parliamentary Secretary in the Mukul Sangma-led MUA government alleged that his brother died after police tortured him for many days.
“I have spoken to the Chief Minister for a judicial inquiry into the incident, and he told me that he had spoken to the Chief Secretary in this regard,” Rophul said over phone on Tuesday.
Balsan was one among the those who were arrested for his alleged involvement in the detention and assault of 12 women in Tura recently.
The police website said that “On May 19, the UTP Balsan S Marak who was arrested on May 14 in connection with an attempt to kidnap a twenty-five year old lady from Akhonggre, Tura in West Garo Hills, was shifted from District Jail Tura to Civil Hospital Tura due to illness. On May 20 around 8.30 am, Marak died at the hospital”.
Rophul, representing Riju-Rongara constituency of South Garo Hills alleged that when he met his brother after his arrest, he had complained about torture by police every night and, moreover, his hands were broken.
” After his arrest, his hands were broken, and we wanted to move bail on medical ground, but in vain” he added
According to Rophul, though the West Garo Hills SP was not punished for the alleged fake encounter killing of Shillong jail break mastermind Fullmoon Dhar in the past, he would ensure that the SP does not escape punishment this time.
Rophul also said that the age of the victim is falsely shown as 20 though he may be around 18 years of age.