SHILLONG: ‘No one killed two villagers’ in East Jaintia Hills during the September 24 firing incident if one goes by several versions of the incident.
While the agitators blamed the police for the firing incident which killed two persons, Derest Siangshai and Setlang Phawa, at Mookhep village, the police, magistrate and the BSF sprang into action by filing three FIRs in connection with the incident.
The FIR of additional SP Karthikeyan K is that while he and the magistrate were reaching Mookhep on September 24 at 4 pm en route Wapung, around 600 to 700 people pelted stones at the police and firing shots were also heard.
According to Karthikeyan, he heard that the Magistrate gave an order for lathi charge and to fire in the air. The crowd did not disperse and tried to surround them again. “So the Magistrate for the second time gave an order to fire in the air’, the FIR said.
However, in reality the police had not resorted to lathi charge. Neither water cannons nor rubber bullets were used to disperse the crowd though the police had procured all these as per the modernization scheme.
Contrary to this, the FIR of a villager identified as Riasmon Siangshai said that on September 24 at around 5.30 pm, he sustained injuries on his left leg due to police firing at Wapung Skur village in East Jantia Hills.
Another FIR lodged by one S.U Khinder Pal, Deputy Commandant, 44 Bn. BSF said that on September 24, while troops of his unit were proceeding from Mawpat, Shillong to Khliehriat, on reaching Wapung area an irate mob approached them, pelted stones and tried to drag out the driver of the BSF vehicle. Though there were reports that the BSF fired in the air, it was denied by the BSF subsequently.
Another FIR fled by R S Manner, Additional district magistrate of East Jaintia Hills said that on September 23 at around 7 pm, when she reached Wapung in East Jaintia Hills, the irate mob started to pelt stones at her vehicle and attempted to burn the vehicle. She also heard firing shots from the mob.
Sources said that if the magistrates and the BSF saw the violent activities of the crowd, why the administration did not resort to preventive measures such as making announcement to the crowd for its dispersal through microphones.
The people have already cast aspersions on the credibility of the magisterial inquiry which they suspect will be one sided.