Custody death: Govt pays Rs 5 lakh to wife of late Witson Sangma
SHILLONG: After the payment of Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia to the wife of Witson Sangma who died in police custody in 2014, the political department recently asked the police headquarters to initiative action against five police personnel involved in the incident as per the order of the National Human Rights Commission.
It was based on the complaint of Agatha Sangma, former Tura MP and others that NHRC took up the case under “custodial torture/medical negligence in police custody”.
Later, the state government paid Rs 5 lakh to Minalish Marak, wife of the diseased on December 2 2015.
However, even after six months, action against the police personnel who were involved in the incident is pending.
The state government has not divulged the names of the accused police personnel.
The NHRC has directed the Chief Secretary to ensure that legal/disciplinary action initiated against the erring police personnel is concluded expeditiously.
It was on May 28, 2014 that Witson M Sangma, was arrested by South Garo Hills police suspecting him to be an over ground worker of GNLA. He died inside Chokpot police station due to medical negligence on the night of May 28.
In 2014, the then district police chief Lakador Syiem had said that Sangma (35) hailing from Warima Duragre village of Chokpot “was arrested for his involvement with the GNLA in planting two pressure cooker IEDs on a road in Chokpot”.
The suspect was reportedly taken for medical examination by police in Chokpot where a doctor was believed to have noted that he was suffering from hypertension.
Despite his medical condition the accused was sent to the lock up for the night where he passed away.
“At the time of his medical examination he did not show any signs of a major illness and so he was taken back to his cell since he was to lead police the next day to the spot where the IEDs had been placed ,” the district police chief had said in 2014. Police had claimed that the night duty sentry called and alerted the officer in-charge that the accused was having a serious medical condition.
According to the then police chief of the district, as soon as the OC was informed, doctor was brought in to examine him, but he had already passed away.
The death of Sangma in police custody had sparked protests leading to curfew at Chokpot area of South Garo Hills on May 29 following a mob violence in which stones were hurled and three police vehicles were torched.
