Probe into role of ANVC cadres skipped
SHILLONG: There is a demand for a fair probe into the assault on 12 girls in Tura as both the magisterial inquiry and the probe by the Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW) failed to investigate the alleged role of ANVC cadres in the case. Moreover, there was no probe into the circumstances that allowed photographs of the stripped girls to appear in the social media.
Another angle which the two probes failed to look into is that the girls were stripped inside Tura Police Station and their photographs were clicked by a news photographer in the presence of police personnel. Following this the photographers were posted in the social media and even published in some local dailies.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Saturday, ANVC-B chief Rimpu Marak said it would have been fair if the angle of the alleged involvement of ANVC cadres had been probed to unearth the truth.
“We came to know that three or four girls had been thrashed by ANVC cadres behind the house of NGO leader Jaynie Sangma and a counter FIR was also filed but the police did not follow up this matter,” the ANVC-B leader claimed. Earlier, the ANVC-B leader in a statement issued to the media had alleged that ANVC cadre Katong was one among many who had barged into Jaynie’s house, but their names were not mentioned anywhere.
“Their names were mentioned by many in the social media, but the matter was covered up as the victims were rescued by public and not by ANVC. It is also worth mentioning that Jaynie was beaten up by Katong and warned with dire consequences if his name was not removed from the testimony of the victims,” the ANVC-B leader had alleged in the statement.
According to Rimpu, this side of the story should not have been overlooked by the investigators. “Who authorized ANVC cadres to enter Jaynie’s house? Was it not proper to inform the police or was it authorized by police? Are they being used to cover up the truth in the entire episode or is there a different dimension entirely?” the ANVC-B leader had questioned in his earlier statement.
