SHILLONG: Five people, including four leaders of various pressure groups from Rongjeng in East Garo Hills were detained by Assam police, allegedly for questioning on Monday night, while they were on their way back home near the town of Goalpara in Assam.
The four, who had gone there on a business trip were stopped, questioned, and asked to leave before once again being taken to the Goalpara Sadar Police station.
The incident happened at about 9:30 pm when Arman G Marak,the FKJGP president for Rongjeng, JM Sangma, a member of the Rongjeng JAC, Tuesbrial Marak, president of GSU – Rongmil and Sengman Marak, another member of GSU– Rongjeng along with a friend from Goalpara, were stopped for a routine vehicle check.
“We were asked to stop near the Jogighopa bridge near Kavaitary by policemen and did so. The policemen questioned us and then checked our vehicle. When they found nothing, they then asked us to proceed. Suddenly, one of them against asked Sengman about his identity and asked us to stop the car. Immediately after we were escorted to the Sadar PS,” said Arman.Police refused to answer when asked why there were detained.
“ Three of us, JM Sangma, Tuesbrial and Sengman were also harassed by a police officer who was drunk. We were asked to just sit in the police station and there was no questioning by anyone regarding anything. They made us wait the whole night in the PS without even providing us food to eat. We survived on water throughout the night’”, added Arman.
The four member group said they were beaten up by one SI, Bimal Nath, though the SP of Goalpara, Nitul Gogoi denied the claims.
“We detained them to verify their identities and let them go this morning”, said Gogoi.
He however did not have any answer as to why the five were not provided food or even allowed to go to eat while they were detained in the PS, while also claiming that there was no officer by the name as claimed by the four Ngo members.
“They were not beaten up at all and we do not have any officer by the name they have given,” said Gogoi
