SHILLONG: A day after the brutal murder of the NCP candidate from Williamnagar, Jonathone N Sangma by suspected GNLA militants, the NCP has demanded a NIA probe into the matter.
NCP working president, Vijay Raj while terming the killing as ‘political murder’ expressed his surprise that the police confirmed about the incident only after the CM posted and condemned the incident on “Facebook,”
Meanwhile, in a letter shot off to the State Chief Electoral Officer, Frederick R Kharkongor, Raj said that it looked like the party candidates were being targeted by miscreants under the influence of some political party.
He recalled that only few days back, the house of their party candidate from Rongjeng was burnt down while accusing the State machinery of failing to respond to the incident since it took more than two hours for the fire brigade to reach the location and provide assistance.
Raj demanded that other NCP candidates in the state should be provided security after what has happened in Williamnagar.
NCP general secretary, SP Thapa claimed that as per information received by him, after the IED blast on Sunday, miscreants opened indiscriminate firing on the vehicles.
It may be mentioned that during the last state election in February 2013, Johnathon had filed a case against Congress leader Deborah C Marak in Williamnagar police station for instigating militants of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) against him during the elections.
The police had then filed a charge sheet against Marak under Sections 120B, 171F and 506 of Indian Penal Code. However, the case is still pending in the lower court in Shillong.
He further said the police department had failed to provide proper security to the candidate despite the fact that posters had appeared on trees and walls in many places in Williamnagar, warning people not to cast vote for Jonathone.
He informed that Jonathone was receiving telephonic threats and the same was communicated to the police, still no adequate security was provided to him.