SHILLONG: The state government has turned down the demand of the opposition for a CBI inquiry into the brutal attack on CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing and her colleague Amita Sangma.
The duo were attacked at Sohsrieh in East Jaintia Hills on November 8 and the government wants only a judicial probe into the matter.
Congress legislator HM Shangpliang started the short duration discussion during the one-day special session of the Assembly here on Tuesday, which continued for seven hours, under Rule 50 of the Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business of the Assembly on the prevailing law and order in the wake of the attack, sense of insecurity in the state and misuse of government machinery, thereby vitiating the atmosphere of governance.
Replying to the discussion, Home Minister James Sangma said, “I don’t see the need for a CBI inquiry as the government has already constituted an independent fact-finding inquiry into the matter.”
Earlier, Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma had asked the government to order a CBI inquiry while raising doubts about the integrity of those posted in East Jaintia Hills. He said this was for the first time that civil society members were targeted by criminals.
According to him, in the past, the government had to fight the militants whereas the fear now is of the “criminal elements who have close association with those who are in power”.
Mukul also asserted that the charge-sheeting of the case should be vested with the independent authority and there should be no derailing of the investigation.
Another Congress legislator, Zenith Sangma, said the CBI inquiry into the incident is the need of the hour, while Ampareen Lyngdoh, also from the Congress, expressed the need to have a proper probe into the matter.
Earlier, initiating the discussion, Shangpliang questioned the government for ordering an independent inquiry into the matter 20 days after the incident.
He also lamented that while only six people were arrested, the prime accused is still at large and the district police have not even issued a lookout notice.
In his reply, the home minister gave a detailed account on the background of the incident and how the district police immediately swung into action and arrested several people who are allegedly involved in the assault case.
Stating that the case is also being investigated by an officer at the DSP level, the home minister added that the investigation was progressing well.
Maintaining that the police department is following all procedures during investigating, he added that the law will take its own course against anybody who is involved in the incident and party affiliation of the suspect who is alleged to be the prime accused “does not matter to the government”.
It may be mentioned that Nidamon Chullet, the working president of NPP, East and West Jaintia Hills District, is accused of being the one who led the attackers to target Agnes and Amita.
According to Sangma, the state government will bear all medical expenditure of Amita and Agnes and the NEIGRIHMS director has been asked to submit the medical bills to the government.
He also said there is nothing shoddy and there are no lapses in the investigation being carried out by the police even as he added that CCTV cameras have been installed at NEIGRIHMS where both victims are undergoing treatment and 24/7 police protection has been given to the social activists.
