By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Judicial Inquiry Commission which probed the Langpih firing incident has given clean chit to legislators, Hoping Stone Lyngdoh, Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, members of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, KP Pangniang, Adelbert Nongrum and former KSU president Samuel Jyrwa who took part in a meeting in Langpih on April 9, 2010, a month before the flare up.
The then Superintendent of Police, Kamrup, PS Mahanta in his affidavit before the Commission had alleged that on April 9, 2010, in a meeting held at Lower Langpih Khasi LP School, Lyngdoh, currently a legislator from Nongstoin and others delivered anti-Assam speeches.
“An identical statement has been made by Mahanta’s successor-in-office AJ Baruah in his affidavit,” the Commission said, adding that Mahanta and Baruah were not eyewitnesses and they had not disclosed the source of their information, and hence such statements cannot be taken into account or acted upon.
The Commission’s report further said that SK Roy, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup, also had referred to the said meeting at Lower Langpih, and wanted to make the persons present in the meeting responsible for the incident of May 14.
Cross-examined by CD Kynjing, Advocate General of Meghalaya, Roy revealed that his statement regarding the meeting on April 9 was based on the report dated April 12, of the then Circle Officer of Boko, Prasanta Boruah.
Boruah in his affidavit said that there were reasons to believe that the May 14 incident was a result of suspected provocation of HS Lyngdoh and others.
However, Roy had no personnel knowledge about the meeting of April 9 at Langpih.
“His evidence is based on the report. The author of this report also had no personal knowledge as is evident from the report itself. Such evidence leads us nowhere as to the involvement of Hoping Stone Lyngdoh and others especially in view of their categorical denial,” the Commission said.
According to the Commission, on such evidence or rather lack of evidence it cannot be said that Lyngdoh and the others were responsible for the incident that took place at Langpih on May 14.
“There is no evidence to show that any organization was responsible for the Langpih incident,” the Commission asserted.
The HSPDP leader, while disposing before the Commission said that he along with UDP legislator Ardent Basaiawmoit had gone to Langpih to meet the people and to educate them to make use of various Government schemes.
According to him, the statement of Kamrup Deputy Commissioner that he instigated the people was wrong and false.
MDCs, KP Pangniang and Adelbert Nongrum, and former KSU president Samuel Jyrwa also denied before the Commission that they made any provocative statement during the meeting.
Though Dilip Boro, officer in charge of Lower Langpih police post named a Khasi youth Budshar Lyngkhoi as an accused, Lynkhoi denied his involvement and deposed before the Commission that he did not know what had happened in the Langpih market.
According to Lyngkhoi, when he reached near the BOP on his way to the market, he was detained and beaten up by Nepalis and Assam police personnel, who tied his hands and hanged him upside down and then took him to Guwahati in an unconscious stage.
The Commission reasoned that there was no evidence to show that Lyngkhoi was part of the mob, but he was rather a victim.
“Absolutely no evidence has been forthcoming as to the identity of those Khasi and Nepalis involved in the altercation that took place on May 14, 2010 at Langpih,” the Commission said.