By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The West Garo Hills district administration on Friday ordered a magisterial enquiry into the custodial death of one Noresh Koch (44) inside the Tura police station lock-up on Thursday.
Koch was found hanging inside the toilet located inside his cell block at the police station. He was accused in a theft case, caught by the public at 13th Mile, on the road between Dobasipara and Kherapara, and was later handed over to police.
“Magistrate TG Momin will be conducting an enquiry into the matter and a report is expected to be submitted within three weeks,” West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Pravin Bakshi told The Shillong Times here on Friday.
Bakshi also informed that a brief preliminary report was also submitted by the West Garo Hills Superintendent of Police and an Additional SP has also been directed to conduct an inquest into the matter.
When asked whether any foul play was suspected in the death of Koch, Bakshi said, “As far as the preliminary report goes, there is no angle of foul play in the death of Koch but the truth will only come out after the post mortem report is submitted.”
Khliehriat case
Meanwhile, in the suicide case of one Roi Simpli (20) inside police lock-up in May this year at Khliehriat Police Station, police claimed that a magisterial enquiry has been conducted into the matter and the report has stated that the death was a clear case of suicide. However, it is yet to be known whether a magisterial enquiry has been conducted.
It was on May 9 that an accused identified as Roi Simpli allegedly hung himself at the police lock-up at Khliehriat PS.
Earlier, the Meghalaya People’s Human Rights Council (MPHRC) had urged the Government to constitute magisterial inquiry into all custodial death cases and to report the matter to the National Human Rights Commission.