NONGSTOIN: The last and final round of hearing on the Langpih firing will be held by the PC Phukan inquiry commission in Guwahati from July 8 for five consecutive days. Dr P Lyngkhoi, who conducted the post-mortem of the victims died in the police firing on May 14, 2010, and Dr Eric Warming In-Charge of Nonglang PHC will represent the Meghalaya Government during the hearing at the Circuit House in Guwahati.
The Assam Government will be represented by Circle Inspector of Chhaygaon police station and Assistant Sub-Inspector of Langpih Police Outpost. Eight Nepalese people under the leadership of Chokro Chetri, headman of Langpi (Assam), will also depose before the commission.
KP Pangniang, MDC, Rambrai, who deposed before the commission on Saturday, demanded compensation from the Assam Government for the kin of the four victims and also the injured in the “indiscriminate firing” by Assam Police.
The commission uphold the demand on the ground that during their visit to Langpih on May 15 2010, Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma and other ministers had promised to give compensation to the victims.
On Saturday last, Hopingstone Lyngdoh, MLA, Nongstoin; KP Pangniang, MDC, Rymbrai; LG Nongsiej, MDC, Nongstoin; L Kharkongor, MDC, Nongthymmai; Adelbert Nongrum, MDC, Jaiaw, JB Basawiamoit, MDC, Mawkhar; and Samuel Jyrwa, president, Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) deposed before the commission in Guwahati.
The Kamrup district administration had alleged that these leaders incited communal tension in Langpih that led to the police firing claiming the lives of the four innocent villagers.
All of them, however, refuted the allegations saying they (allegations) have no roots in connection with the Langpih episode.
They also denied the allegation of the Kamrup district authorities that local Khasi people attacked the Langpih police outpost of Assam before the firing took place.
Correction: In the last paragraph of the ST report about the Langpih hearing, on July 4, the line should be read as “…four persons were shot dead beyond 200 metres from the Assam’s police outpost…” and not as reported.