Reports that the cabinet and the Congress Party had no inkling about the charge-sheet filed by East Garo Hills Police against Deborah Marak are inscrutable. Do we expect the Police to take a cue from Government to initiate action on any FIR filed by a victim of criminal conspiracy? Do we want the Police to be kept completely under the thumb of politicians? The East Garo Hills Police received two FIRs filed by Williamnagar candidate for the Assembly elections in January and February 2013. He wrote a third letter in September this year to the Chief Election Commissioner apprising the Commission of the threats and intimidation, along with pamphlets circulated to voters by a militant outfit asking them to vote for Ms Marak or face consequences. The Police have proceeded with investigations and must have prima facie evidence that there was criminal intimidation which is why they have charge-sheeted the Williamnagar MLA who is currently also a minister.
One reason why justice has eluded us in Meghalaya and why conviction rates for even heinous crimes are appallingly low is because of political interference in the justice delivery system. Most cases are lost for want of evidence and the evidence collection procedure is shoddy to say the least. In all other states you hear of landmark judgments being delivered against rapists and criminals. Here with such a large number of rape cases pending in different courts and for very long periods, the offender walks out scot free because people have forgotten the crime by the time the judgment is delivered. Only the victims are left to nurse their wounds. There are insinuations by a section of Congressmen and women and by those from other political parties too that the Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma orchestrated the charge-sheet process by pressuring the Police to do so. Politicians have bagfuls of tricks and survival strategies. We can only hope that the case of Deborah Marak is not used for political expediency. Jonathone Sangma deserves justice and Meghalaya can do without militants sticking their noses into the electoral system and controlling the fortunes of wannabe politicians.
Politicians of all hues should stay out of this case and allow justice to take its course. However, it is also good for the National Investigation Agency to step in and clear the air over the politician-militant nexus.