Probe report lengthy, govt taking time: CM

SHILLONG, July 13: The one-man inquiry commission headed by Justice (retd) T Vaiphei, which had investigated the killing of former HNLC leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew, submitted its report to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma almost eight weeks ago but the state government is yet to make the report public.
The chief minister on Wednesday said the judicial inquiry report, which was submitted by Justice Vaiphei on May 20, was being examined. The government is taking time since the report is lengthy, he said.
Sangma said the outcome of the report would be intimated to everyone at an appropriate time.
Not satisfied, senior lawyer Erwin K Sutnga demanded that the state government should make the report public at the earliest.
Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Sutnga suspected that the state government is yet to make the report public due to some adverse findings against the police.
“People have the right to know. Those police officials who are responsible have to be brought to justice,” he said.
Even the family of the slain HNLC leader suspect that the state government is not divulging the findings as it will expose the guilty police personnel.
In the first week of June, the family had written to Home Secretary CVD Diengdoh, through their legal counsel, seeking a copy of the report. A copy of the letter was also submitted to the chief minister.
The government reportedly told Thangkhiew’s family that the report can be shared after it is tabled in the upcoming session of the Assembly.
The family argued that the government had divulged the findings of the Justice RN Mishra commission, which probed the alleged irregularities in the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited, to the media. “Why is the government adopting different yardsticks,” the family had questioned.
The government had notified the probe in August last year but the work started in the first week of September.
During the course of the inquiry which lasted more than nine months, the commission examined 12 witnesses including police personnel and family members of Thangkhiew.
The commission held more than 20 hearings. It examined several government witnesses including East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police, Jagpal Singh Dhanoa, who had led the August 13 operation at Mawlai Kynton Massar locality.
The probe was ordered on August 16 last year after a public outcry over the death of the former HNLC leader, who was shot by the police in an early morning raid.
The probe panel was given three months’ time to complete its job. Later, it was granted one month’s extension at the end of which Justice Vaiphei sought for a further extension to complete the probe after which the government granted the commission time till May 20 to finish its task.