SHILLONG: Two days after the attack on CSWO President Agnes Kharshiing, the State Home Minister, James Sangma has asserted that the government is serious in getting into the root of illegal mining and transportation of coal in the state.
Talking to media persons here on Saturday, James Sangma said, “I can assure you that we are seriously looking into this matter. Whether in term of judicial probe or a magisterial inquiry that is the only thing that remains (to be decided) but we are serious about getting into the root of it.”
The home minister, who also visited NEIGRIHMS where Kharshiing has been admitted in the Intensive Critical Care Unit (ICCU), to express solidarity with her family, also strongly condemned the attack and assured that the guilty will be brought to justice.
Terming the attack on Kharshiing and Amita Sangma as very inhumane and barbaric, he assured that the Government would take very swift action on this and Government would bring the guilty to justice.
Refusing to comment on the alleged nexus between coal mafias and police, he said, “I don’t want to comment on this whether there is a nexus or not. I think that this matter has to be looked into and only after this matter is investigated and when there is prove of the nexus.”
On the demand for instituting a judicial or CBI probe into the incident, Sangma, however, said that a case had already been registered and the government felt that the police department was equipped to handle the case.
“We have already managed to nab two suspects so we are quite hopeful that things will progress and we will be able to crack this case very soon. But the government is thinking about it (to set up inquiry) but decision has not been taken as of now,” he added.
Asked whether more arrest is expected in the coming days, the home minister said that he did not want to go into the nitty gritty of the investigation but the persons had been arrested based on very hard and concrete evidence.
When enquired as to what step the government will take to prevent such lawlessness from becoming the order of the day in the state, the home minister said it was constant endeavour of the government to ensure an environment where people feel secure.
To another query, the home minister stated that when the chief minister speaks, he is speaking on behalf of the entire government. “When the CM speaks it means that we all share the same view and it is a collective view of the cabinet,” he said.