Judicial probe ordered into assault of Champion Sangma in jail
SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya has ordered an inquiry into the assault of GNLA leader Champion Sangma last June inside the jail and asked the District Judge to complete the probe within 15 days.
The Judge SR Sen also expressed concern over the safety of prisoners lodged at Shillong jail while dealing with the case related to the assault of under trial prisoner, Sangma.
As the matter came up for hearing on Thursday, after the submissions of Sujit Dey, counsel for the petitioner and N.D. Chullai, senior government advocate appearing for the state, the Judge observed that that it appears that the UTP, Sangma was in custody from 2012 in Shillong District Jail, but on June 26 last year a group of inmates from the jail entered his cell and assaulted him with an iron rod and stones though he was kept in an isolated cell in high security zone inside the jail.
The counsel for the petitioner made a submission that Sangma filed an FIR through the Jailor and Assistant Jailor, Shillong District Jail, but the same was not forwarded to the concerned Police Station for reasons best known to them.
The Jailor, U. Kyndiah and Assistant Jailor, T. Marak, were present in the court and the duo explained that they could not forward the FIR as the date was not mentioned therein.
“From their submissions, it appears that, there is claim and counter claim, but one question remained alive before me that, when a person is not secured inside the jail, which is supposed to be a reformative home then how can we say that other people will be safe who do not have proper security,” Justice Sen observed.
While ordering the inquiry to be headed by the District Judge, Justice Sen said, “We cannot allow lawlessness to capture the jail campus. There must be proper discipline, rules and regulations”.
The Judge said that in the course of inquiry, the District Judge, Shillong is at liberty to go through the footage of CCTV cameras and other materials which he feels necessary to find the truth.
The counsel for the petitioner also made a submission that the petitioner has reservation on the present trial and hence he wanted to transfer the petition, which was allowed by the High Court.
The Court also asked the petitioner to file the transfer petition within two days and the matter will be heard after a week.