East Jaintia Hills assault incident
SHILLONG: Civil Society Women’s Organisation (CSWO) president and social activist Agnes Kharshiing has expressed disappointment at the way police are conducting the probe into the case of brutal assault on her and activist Amita Sangma by a group in East Jaintia Hills last year when they were inquiring about illegal coal mining in the area.
Talking to The Shillong Times almost nine months after the incident, Agnes said that the police have not yet added section 120 (B) of the IPC to the case which is an indication that it is not being investigated in the right way.
Section 120(B) deals with punishment of criminal conspiracy.
“ The IO did not add this important section even after we told them and we know for sure that the coal mafia would not have attacked us if they were not protected by some police personnel,” Kharshiing said
Informing that they would soon go to Khliehriat to take stock of the progress of the case from the SP, she said that the prime accused in the attack, Nidamon Chullet, who is a leader of the ruling National Peoples Party in East Jaintia Hills district, has already managed to secure bail.
“ They (police) said that they have charge-sheeted the case but they have not called us and the trial should start,” she added.
Alleging that coal is still being supplied from the district, she wondered how she could expect help from a government which sends lawyers to the Supreme Court for lifting the ban on coal mining but doesn’t care about the cause of women.
Agnes and Amita suffered life-threatening injuries after they were assaulted by a group of people suspected to belong to the coal mining mafia in East Jaintia Hills district on November 8 last year.
They had gone to the area to take photographs of illegal coal mining and were waylaid by the miscreants on their way back.