‘Tawdry job done by Magistrate probing Sept 24 firing incident’
SHILLONG: The Magistrate who was tasked with investigating the Sept 24, 2014 Mookhep firing incident, allegedly did a shoddy job without going through the terms of reference and posed more questions than answers in his report, a senior Government official told reporters on Monday.
Two persons – Derestmon Siangshai and Setlang Phawa – were killed and seven others injured in the police firing at Mookhep in East Jaintia Hills District while they were part of a group agitating over varied issues related to the NGT ban on coal mining.
Since there were many versions of the incident, the State government constituted a magisterial inquiry headed by East Jaintia Hills Additional Deputy Commissioner S.S. Syiemlieh.
The Magistrate submitted his report to the Political department on Nov 11.
However, the Government official on Monday revealed that the Magistrate had not gone according to the terms of reference including the need to find out the circumstances that led to the incident and fixing responsibility on those responsible for the firing incident.
“The magistrate posed many questions instead of giving answers to several of these questions and wanted further inquiry on the incident,” the official said.
In this context, the Government is examining the need to go for a high level inquiry.
“We will have a meeting to discuss the issue,” the official added.
During the Assembly session on Nov 26, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had said that the Magisterial probe report into the Mookhep firing incident had suggested further inquiry into a number of questions pertaining to the incident which the report itself had not addressed.
“It is found that the report had recommended further enquiry into a number of questions which the report itself has not addressed. Making the report public at this stage may not be appropriate as this may hamper the lines of action to be initiated thereafter,” the Chief Minister had stated in the Assembly.