SHILLONG: Mystery surrounds the manner in which the Sub Inspector Pramoth Sangma was killed on Thursday morning close to the international border at Purakhasia in West Garo Hills.
Though the police claimed that Sangma fell to the bullets of militants during anti-insurgency operations, neither any group was named by the police nor any militant outfit claimed responsibility of killing the police official
One theory doing the rounds among the villagers is that Pramoth Sangma can be a victim of mistaken identity when two teams of police personnel were moving around in the same area.
Why only Pramoth Sangma, who was part of a police team, was targeted is another mystery.
Sources said that only a high-level inquiry can bring to light the truth about Thursday morning’s incident.
Critics have also pointed out that instead of a Sub Inspector leading the anti insurgency operations in the Indo-Bangla border which is infested with militants, other senior police personnel including the additional SPs and SPs should have lead the team for counter-insurgency operations in their respective districts.
Earlier, during the Assembly session in June this year, GNC legislator Clifford Marak while attacking the Shillong-centric senior police officials of the State, who according to him lack knowledge about the ground realities in Garo Hills, had suggested that both the State DGP and IG (Operations) should stay in the jungles of Garo Hills for at least three months to understand the real situation. However, this suggestion was not taken seriously by the Home department. Interestingly, the IG (Operations) is functioning from Shillong.
