By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Justice (retd) SP Rajkhowa Inquiry Commission, which is yet to get any extension since July, has submitted an assessment report to the Government on why extension needs to be given to the panel.
The State Government has not extended the sitting of the Commission, which is probing the infamous Shillong jail break of May 31,2009, since July 17 this year as the Government wants to first go through the assessment report before granting time for any further sittings.
“We have received the report from the Commission yesterday and the issue of granting extension will be examined”, Chief Secretary WMS Pariat said on Wednesday.
The Government sought the report due to the undue delay on the part of the Commission to complete the probe.
According to the report of the Commission, the probe was delayed due to various reasons.
The main reason of delay was that the Steering Committee Against Murder of Democracy (SCAMoD), which was formed to follow up the jail break case, had sought the intervention of the Shillong Bench of the Gauhati High Court to examine more witnesses. The Court verdict on the matter took more time.
After the last hearing in July, the Commission had sought an extension of three months to complete the report after examining some more witnesses as suggested in a petition filed by Agnes Kharshiing, who is pursuing the jail break case on behalf of SCAMoD.
The inquiry so far has cost the state exchequer Rs 1.07,73,997 within three years.
The jail break probe was necessitated to find out the reasons behind the escape of seven under trials led by the jail break master mind Fullmoon Dhar on May 31, 2009. A day after the jail break, Dhar was killed in an alleged fake encounter.
The state government had on July 23, 2009 appointed Justice (retd) D Biswas to conduct the judicial probe.
Since Biswas was appointed as Up-Lokayukta in Assam in April 2010, he could not complete the task. Later, the Government on August 20, 2010 appointed the current Commission of Inquiry.
