By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Exactly a year ago, two social activists — Agnes Kharshiing and Amita Sangma — were assaulted by coal dealers and their supporters in East Jaintia Hills.
A year after, the activists are unhappy over the system which still neglects the victims while allowing the main accused in the case and NPP leader from East Jaintia Hills, Nidamon Chullet, to carry out transportation of coal. The government recently allowed Nidamon to take part in the auction of coal and also to transport it.
Nidamon had allegedly led the attack on Agnes and Amita on November 8 last year at Tuber Sohshrieh in East Jaintia Hills for probing illegal coal mining and transportation.
Speaking to The Shillong Times on Thursday, Agnes said. “There was and is a nexus between police, politicians and coal mafia, otherwise we should not have been attacked on November 8”.
She also deplored that there was no independent probe into the matter.
Agnes said it was strange that Section 120 (B) of the IPC (criminal conspiracy) was not included when the police probed the case.
Section 120 (B) states “whoever is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence punishable with death, imprisonment for life, or rigorous imprisonment for a term of two years or upwards, shall, where no express provision is made in this Code for the punishment of such a conspiracy, be punished in the same manner as if he had abetted such offence”.
Echoing the same views, Amita said the government is supporting the accused rather than protecting the victims.
“A welfare state is supposed to look after the victims and those who are deprived of justice but what has the NPP led MDA government done for us”, she asked.
Amita, a single mother, who has to look after her seven children, pointed out that the government had assured to have an independent probe into the assault, but nothing was done.
“Recently we heard that the government is supporting the prime accused Nidamon who was allowed to transport the already auctioned coal and this is ridiculous”, she said.
The government allowed transportation of 809 metric tonnes (MT) of auctioned coal lying at 13th Mile Tamulkuchi based on the letter and documents received from the Ri Bhoi deputy commissioner.
The coal was disposed of by auction in favour of Chullet and the transportation was allowed till October 31.
“The state government is the culprit now as it is not taking care of us”, Amita said, adding, “it is a matter of concern that all the accused are out on bail though a charge sheet was filed against them.”