SHILLONG: The suspicion on the alleged role of police in the murder of Sub Inspector PJ Marbaniang was strengthened with the revelation that the evidences were destroyed from the place of occurrence which is the quarter of the slain police officer.
Marbaniang was killed after he resisted the release of as many as 32 seized trucks which had violated NGT ban on transportation of coal.
Sources said that no one from outside will dare to come to the official quarter of the police officer to attack him and leave unnoticed as his quarter, which is in the second floor, was adjacent to police out post and the BSF unit, which indicates that the act of murder may be the job of the insiders.
According to sources, some black sheep among the police who have alleged nexus with the truck drivers need to be questioned to unravel the truth.
However, a senior police official has termed these allegations as mere presumptions.
During the inspection by the team of Special Investigation Team (SIT), forensic experts and the family members at the quarter of late Marbaniang at Patharkhmah on Tuesday, it was revealed that the blood stains from the floor and the wall were washed.
A charcoal was used to mark a rectangular on the floor. Moreover, a bullet mark on the ceiling gives rise to the speculation that there may have been some scuffle before the police officer was killed.
The blunders committed by the police are many as at first the Ri Bhoi police concluded that it was a suicide case and now the needle of suspicion on destroying the evidences at the place of occurrence is on the police.
After the incident, the Ri Bhoi SP had deputed the officer in-charge of Nongpoh S. Umdor to carry out investigation and subsequently another investigation was also carried out by the Commandant of the Sixth Battalion J. Rymmai. And now SIT started its own investigation after a murder case was registered.
Strangely, no one was detained in connection with the murder. Moreover, there was no transfer of police officers from Patharkhmah police out post which would have prevented the destruction of evidences.
When contacted a former Meghalaya DGP said the destruction of evidences is punishable under section 201 of IPC.
Since there is suspicion on the role of the police in the crime, it would be ideal for an independent agency like the CBI to probe the mysterious case and not the Meghalaya police, the official said
“Ideally the crime scene should have been sealed and protected and not allowed to be tampered with”, the official said.
According t o the official, the uniform of the late police officer should have been preserved as evidence whereas the uniform was cut and thrown into dustbin after he was brought to GNRC hospital at Guwahati as per the version of one of the constables of Patharkhmah.
