SHILLONG: The Political Affairs Department has shelved an important magisterial inquiry into the allegation of militant outfit United A’chik Liberation Army (UALA) that police had armed ANVC(B) with weapons seized from other militant groups, to take on GNLA.
The allegation of UALA, the breakaway group of ANVC(B), made in May this year was that with the blessings of the Police and the Government, the then Circle Inspector of Williamnagar, TC Chacko, had handed over two AK-56 and one AK-47 rifles to ANVC(B) leader Rimpu Marak when he was part of the main ANVC and the UALA chief Singbirth Marak alias Norrok X Momin was witness to it.
Chacko was later promoted as DSP of Nongstoin. Sylvester Nongtner was the SP of Williamnagar then. The weapons were subsequently handed over to ANVC-B commander-in-chief Mukosh Marak, according to the UALA chief.
Though the Government instituted a magisterial probe headed by former additional district magistrate of Williamanagar MK Marak to investigate into the matter, the accused police officer TC Chacko objected to the probe by Marak citing certain reservations, an official source said.
Though Marak almost completed his work, the accused did not co-operate with the magistrate and even wrote to the Political Affairs Department by saying that the magistrate was biased.
Marak was later transferred to Shillong, the source added. There is uncertainty on whether the Government will institute another probe.
After UALA chief made the revelations, ANVC (B) leader Rimpu Marak said that it was the ploy of UALA to derail the peace process initiated by the State Government.
GNLA had also reacted to the allegations by saying that the ANVC (B) was the creation of some politicians from Garo Hills and insisted that the Government should institute a CBI probe into the matter.
Following the allegations, the CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing had also written to the Chief Secretary WMS Pariat to institute a high level probe into the matter which compelled the Government to institute a magisterial probe.