Rally against police excess in Garo Hills

WILLIAMNAGAR: Hundreds of students and citizens walked alongside teachers in Songsak town of East Garo Hills on Wednesday to demand justice for a teacher who died after an alleged assault in police custody in the first week of August.
The protesters demanded action against the police personnel posted at Dagal outpost who assaulted school teacher Hillary Marak.
The victim, hailing from Chidimit, was picked up by a team of police from the local market allegedly in an inebriated condition on the night of August 3.
He was released the next day. With no medical check-up conducted on him, the teacher returned home reportedly with bruises on his body and became bedridden.
He died a week later, on August 10, without any medical attention. Villagers had alleged that Hillary was assaulted in custody.
Anger has been brimming ever since Hillary’s death and the public have been demanding action against the cops.
A magisterial and a police inquiries have been ordered and the officer in charge of Dagal outpost has been transferred to the district headquarters in Williamnagar.
Protesters who walked for justice demanded immediate suspension of the guilty policemen and stern punishment according to law. They are also demanding government compensation for the bereaved family.
Days before the rally, the widow of Hillary Marak petitioned the deputy commissioner of East Garo Hills urging him to speed up the investigation into the death of her husband. She also pointed out that the post mortem report was yet to be prepared.