Forensic teams prod into ANVC base in Tura and Samanda; GNLA refuses to buy story
From Our Correspondent
TURA: A major excavation probe began on Saturday morning with bulldozers and earth movers digging up the ground in and around two ANVC camps in Tura and Samanda to investigate allegations of ‘secret killings’ and mass graves leveled by the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) but the plow failed to yield any results.
The GNLA has been quick to respond to the negative result of the investigation threatening to unleash further agitation unless the matter is solved once and for all. The outfit is now demanding a sitting of the Gauhati High Court for the order of an independent investigation by either a sitting or a retired high court judge.
Following the demand for an investigation the State Government had ordered a one-man enquiry probe headed by Principal Secretary Peter W Ingty. The commission was given a month’s time to come up with its findings.
Forensic teams from Shillong visited two sites in Garo Hills for investigation — the ANVC liaison office at Tura Youth Hostel and Samanda camp near Williamnagar in East Garo Hills.
The teams began their examination of the soil on Saturday morning with earth movers plowing up the ground for the forensic teams to investigate for any suspicious change in the soil pattern. What began at 8 am finally came to a close only at 7 pm without the recovery of any human remains.
A special forensic team of four members inspected the Tura Youth Hostel site while another team of three scientists inspected the excavated ground at Samanda in East Garo Hills on the same day.
Both sites were off limits for the public as police teams secured the area ahead of the excavation.
With the investigation still ongoing, the enquiry commission has appealed to any member of the public who may have specific information with regards to the allegations of secret killings of civilians by the ANVC to provide information to the respective deputy commissioners of either West, East or South Garo Hills districts latest by September 15.
In the meantime, the GNLA has refused to accept the results of the forensic investigation.
“Ingty Commission left out important links in the investigation due to pressure from Govt and ANVC. What happened to the body of the innocent villager killed by ANVC member Mingran Sangma at Youth Hostel. Villager Repjen was murdered and buried near Samanda camp and yet authorities failed to locate his body. How is that possible,” an angry Bikdot Nikjang Marak questioned while speaking to The Shillong Times late Saturday night.
The GNLA has refused to buy the government stand on the issue of secret killings threatening to unleash further agitation over the case.