SHILLONG: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued conditional summons to Meghalaya Chief Secretary Barkos Warjri and Addl. Chief Secretary in charge of Urban and Municipal Affairs, P. Naik, on the alleged arrest of CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing while she was protesting against an eviction drive conducted by the Meghalaya Urban Development Authority at Umsawli on the outskirts of the city in 2013.
The conditional summonses were issued following delay on the part of the State Government to send a report to the NHRC related to the incident.
It was based on the complaints of the Asian Human Rights Commission that the NHRC issued conditional summonses to the chief secretary and the additional chief secretary to appear before the Commission at 11 am on October 13 along with the requisite report and an explanation regarding inordinate delay in the matter.
However, NHRC said that their personal appearances ‘shall be dispensed with if the requisite report and the explanation regarding inordinate delay are received in the Commission on or before October 6’.
The NHRC took notice of the ‘illegal arrest and false implication of Human Rights Defender Agnes Kharshiing on November 8, 2013, when she was protesting against the eviction drive by MUDA at Umsawli.’ She was released on bail eight days later.
The Commission had issued a final reminder on August 29, 2014, to the chief secretary and the principal secretary, Urban Affairs department, seeking a report on the matter and added that till date it has not received any report from the officials.
“The Commission viewed seriously the inordinate delay and the lackadaisical approach on the part of Government of Meghalaya in submission of the requisite report,” it said.
Meanwhile, Agnes Kharshiing asserted that she was booked twice for the same action.
In a statement issued to the media on Sunday, she said that on November 8, 2013, two FIRs were filed against her by MUDA Engineer Banri Lyngdoh and a JCB driver who alleged that she had obstructed the demolition/eviction drive at Umsawli.
“For same cause of action (Section 506) I was booked twice and had to move bail twice and in the outpost the same GD Entry was made as No 97. When it went to the police station, two cases were made out,” she stated.
Kharshiing said she had earlier filed an FIR in 2012 regarding the purchase of land by MUDA, but the police went slowly on the matter.
After RTI findings, she claimed that for the acquisition of 2372 acres of land a forged document was made and using this document about 285 acres of land was sold to the MUDA.
The Forensic Science Laboratory has come out with a report that the document was forged, she added.
Kharshiing indicated that the case was handed over to the Investigating officers (IOs) and IO L.D. Sangma had sought the prosecution of the MUDA officials, but he was taken off the case.
Reacting to MUDA filing a defamation case against her, she said it was an act of intimidation so that others would not follow up cases related to corruption. It was also an attempt to prevent her from pursuing the matter, she added.
