By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: After three and a half years and expenditure of over Rs 1 crore, the probe report of the infamous Shillong jailbreak of 2009 was submitted to the Government on Friday by the Justice (retd) SP Rajkhowa Commission.
The Commission handed over the report in a sealed cover to Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma in his office chamber on Friday.
The Government is unlikely to make the report public any time soon.
After receiving the report, the Chief Minister said that the Government will first go through the report and subsequently place it in the Assembly.
However, since the elections are round the corner, the next Assembly session will be held only in March next.
The retired Judge admitted that it was a painstaking effort to compile the report after completing the hearing on December 7 last. He, however, refused to divulge the content of the report.
It was on May 31, 2009 that seven under trials led by the jail break mastermind, Fullmoon Dhar, escaped from Shillong jail.
The next day, Dhar was killed in an alleged fake encounter in Jaintia Hills, while the others were re-captured.
There were many twists and turns related to the death of Dhar as the re-captured escapees had revealed that Dhar was allegedly shot dead by the police.
Prior to the formation of the Commission of Inquiry, there were magisterial and department probes regarding the manner in which the prisoners effected the jailbreak.
Under pressure from the Steering Committee Against Murder of Democracy (SCAMoD), the Government on July 23, 2009 appointed Justice (retd) D Biswas to conduct the judicial probe.
However, after Biswas was appointed as Up-Lokayukta in Assam in April 2010, he expressed his inability to carry on with the probe.
Subsequently, the Government on August 20, 2010 appointed the SP Rajkhowa Commission of Inquiry.
There was also delay on the part of the Rajkhowa Commission to complete the probe after the SCAMoD filed a case in the Court on the need to examine more witnesses.
After several months, the Court allowed the Commission to resume the hearing.
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