By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Justice (retd) PC Phukan Inquiry Commission which probed May 14, 2010 Langpih firing incident has indicted Platoon Commander of Assam Police, Prem Singh Limbu for ordering ‘excessive and unjustified firing’ without a warning resulting in the death of four Khasi villagers and injury to 12 others.
The Commission, however, said that there was no evidence to show that any organization was responsible for the incident.
The report, a copy of which is available with The Shillong Times, said that Limbu, a Sub-Inspector from the Armed Branch of Assam Police and the Platoon Commander of No.26 Platoon of 4th Assam Police Battalion (APBn) ordered the firing against the Khasi villagers at Langpih (Lampi in Assam).
“In obedience to his order, seventeen APBn personnel opened fire as they were duty bound to do so since they were trained to obey without question. All of them deposed before the Commission. With one voice and with complete unanimity they said that it was their Platoon Commander, who ordered them to open fire, and that before ordering effective fire, he did not warn the mob that the APBn personnel would open effective fire at them,” the Commission said.
The Commission observed that the Platoon Commander did not give any warning at all, let alone giving such warning as clearly as possible, which is a must before ordering effective fire.
“Under orders of the Platoon Commander, seventeen APBn personnel fired as many as 188 rounds for a duration of at least ten minutes. I have already held that the firing at such scale and for such duration was excessive and unjustified in the circumstances prevailed”, the one-man inquiry panel said.
The Commission which had one and a half years’ tenure held more than 40 hearings, both in Shillong and Guwahati and examined as many as 90 witnesses.
The 72 page report also contains the map of the area where the incident took place in addition to the annexure of more than 20 pages which contain many notifications . It was in September 2, 2010 that the Assam Government notified the judicial inquiry into the firing incident following protest from NGOs and the affected people.
Though the report was submitted to Assam Government in March 31 this year, nearly one and half a year after the probe panel was constituted, the findings of the report have not been made public. After Assam Government received the report, Meghalaya had also sought a copy of the report from its counterpart.
According to the Commission, there was already a tension between the Khasis and Nepalis residing in Langpih.
Most of the inhabitants of the area belong to the Khasi and the Nepali communities. A sense of insecurity prevailed in the area mainly because of strained relationship between the local Khasis and the Nepali migrants, the Commission said.
Against such backdrop, any minor incident could lead to a flare up. Thus an altercation between some Khasis and some Nepalis followed by assault on a Nepali youth and setting fire to the roof of an improvised tea stall of a Nepali woman was the immediate cause and beginning of the commotion in the weekly Friday market at Lower Langpih on 14.5.2010 shortly after 12:30 PM”, the Commission said.
“It is admitted that on 14.05.2010 shortly after 12:30 P. M. in the Langpih/Lampi weekly market there was great commotion. It is also admitted that Khasis chased Nepalis towards the Lower Lampi Border-Out-Post (BOP ),” the Commission observed.
.The report also said that both Assam and Meghalaya governments should take some initiatives including infrastructure development programmes to instill confidence in the minds of the people.
The Commission further acknowledged that Meghalaya Government paid Rs 3 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased, Charles Lyngkhoi, Denis Nongsiej, Ekros Rani and Columbos Hoojon.
Though Assam Government sanctioned the same ex-gratia amount of money to the relatives of the deceased, the amount is yet to be paid.
The Meghalaya Government also paid ex-gratia ranging from Rs 5,000 to 25,000 to eight injured persons — Everles K.Syiemlieh, Haiian Wahlang, Losping Nongphud, Pranding Snaitang, Strickbor Snar, Brimtarius Marthong ,Kolestar Jyrwa and Budsharsing Lyngkhoi.
The Commission wanted Assam Government also to pay equal amount to the injured persons as done by Meghalaya Government. In addition to this, the Commission also made a recommendation to Assam Government to pay ex gratia to as many as 11 other injured persons who include Bhakta Bahadur Lama, Dipak Sarma, Ragunath Upadhaya, Tinku Chetri, Dipankar Limbu, Om Bahadur Chetri , Jeet Bahadur Sonar, Krishna Chetri, Bhim Bhatta Roy, Dhon Gurung and Kailash Chetri.
The Commission also made another recommendation to Assam Government to grant financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to Saraswati Magor whose improvised tea stall’s roof was set on fire .
