By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Police had issued prior warning to Assam Police two days before Langpih firing incident about a probable attack on Nepali headman of Langpih, but adequate measures were not taken by Assam Police to prevent the flare up.
The PC Phukan Commission said that intelligence failure on the part of Assam Police resulted in the tragic incident.
The Commission in its report said, “In fact, on 12.05.2010, M. Kharkrang. the then Superintendent of Police, West Khasi Hills district sent a confidential information to his counterpart in Kamrup district PS Mahanta about threat to the life of CB Chetri ,the Headman of Langpih and warned the latter that the next few days would be crucial”.
The report pointed out that Mahanta corroborated Kharkrang’s report and said that on receipt of the letter dated 12.05.2010 from his counterpart, he had alerted Boko police station and Lower Langpih police and asked them to increase police patrolling and checking.
The headman during his examination before the Commission said that before the Langpih firing incident on May 14, 2010 some minor incidents took place, but the people residing there came to a compromise.
In cross-examination before the Commission, Chetri said he sometimes stayed at Langpih and occasionally at Boko.
“He, however, denied the suggestion that he visited Langpih only to create trouble”, the Commission said .
In cross-examination, SK Roy, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup admitted that prior to the incident of May 14, there was tension in the area.
The Commission observed that the influx of Nepalis affecting the population composition generated apprehension in the minds of the Khasis.
A sense of insecurity prevailed in the area mainly because of strained relationship between the two communities, the Commission observed, adding that it is in evidence that there had been tension in the area prior to the incident.
“Against this background, the intelligence wing of the police should have been more active to collect hard actionable information and to pass it on to the district police and civil administration to enable them to face any eventuality in such sensitive area with full preparedness. This was found lacking”, the Commission said.
The report further said that though the SP of Kamrup received confidential information from his West Khasi Hills counterpart about the threat to life to Langpih headman and the crucial days ahead, there is no evidence on record to show that the Kamrup SP received similar information from the Kamrup District Special Branch or any other intelligence agency and that he cross-checked such information against the information he received from his West Khasi Hills counterpart.
“In view of this, it has to be held that there had been lapses on the part of the District Special Branch and other intelligence agencies functioning in the area, if any”, the Commission said.
“Apart from the failure of the intelligence wing of Assam police and indefensible role of the Platoon Commander of No.26 Platoon of 4th APBn posted at Lower Langpih BOP in ordering excessive and unjustified firing , no other lapse on the part of any other authority worth mentioning has come to my notice from the evidence on record”, the Commission said .
Though the Commission blamed the police personnel deployed on the ground for the lapses, it, however, did not find any reason to accuse the higher ups.
According to the probe panel, the officers at the helm, whether in the police or in the district administration, are not necessarily responsible for all that goes amiss, particularly in case of incidents that take place in the far-flung areas with poor connectivity by road or otherwise as in the instant case, Lampi/Langpih area remaining inaccessible most of the year especially during the monsoon because of heavy rain and dilapidated condition of the road on the hilly terrain.