SHILLONG: CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said that the 12 girls who have been allegedly tortured by five activists were actually singed with a hot ‘Roti Tawa’, with the full knowledge of the Tura Police, by goons used by the SP West Garo Hills, Mukesh Singh and police officer Bruno A Sangma.
If this report is right, then the CSWO will demand a medical examination of the girls by a team of medical doctors from Shillong, besides a full CBI inquiry and immediate arrest of Mukesh Singh and Bruno Sangma, Kharshiing said.
The pressure group also termed all the recent killings, staged kidnappings and encounters as diversion tactics by the police to avoid the query on the two custodial deaths.
Kharshiing also said that on May 12, the CSWO also received a phone call informing them of the pregnant girl being scared and needing protection.
The CSWO had told the group who was with Balsan, the victim of custodial death, that they should approach the Deputy Commissioner immediately.
The CSWO also rang up a media person in Tura asking him to inform the DC about the fear of the girl.
After some time, the CSWO received information that the girl had gone to the Police station to give her statement and also received information that Balsan was beaten up outside the police station by the men of Mukesh and Bruno.
On the same day, the CSWO received information that Balsan and the minor son of Jaynie Sangma were detained in the Tura police station.
The police had not revealed the arrest of Balsan and the minor boy, on May 12 when the boys were actually arrested then and Balsan was also taken for medical examination on the same day and had his hand bandaged due to fracture following the assault by the men of Mukesh and Bruno, the CSWO alleged .
The very fact that these two officers were not arrested is a grave betrayal by the Government at a time when many lives were lost to cover up the atrocities of custodial Torture by men in uniform.
“This explains the delay by the Social Welfare Department in making public the report of the Magistrate ordered by the DC West Garo Hills”, the CSWO said.
The CSWO suspected that unrest in West and south Garo Hills is the outcome of the two custodial deaths in West Garo Hills, and South Garo Hills, and if such atrocities by police are allowed to the extent of a woman killed to invite international condemnation and divert the two custodial deaths, then the CSWO will take up the matter and report it to Prime Minister and the Special Rapporteurs of the UN on Torture and Violence against women, Kharshiing added.
