SHILLONG, Aug 1: Governor Satya Pal Malik has assured the state BJP of an independent inquiry into the case related to Bernard N Marak.
State BJP leaders had met the Governor on Monday after staging a protest in front of the party office to demand the removal of West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner Swapnil Tembe and Superintendent of Police Vivekananda Singh Rathore for facilitating a free and fair probe.
Speaking to media persons after meeting the Governor and submitting a memorandum, state BJP president Ernest Mawrie said Malik said an independent inquiry would be commissioned.
Lamenting the denial of permission to the BJP for holding a peace rally in Tura and Shillong, he said he would also meet Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to press for an independent probe into the raid at Marak’s farmhouse and his subsequent arrest.
The BJP leaders told the Governor that the party workers were being harassed post the action against Marak, which was a “clear case of political vendetta”.
“This vendetta is a first of its kind in Meghalaya. We fear this will set the trend of vindictive politics in our state,” Mawrie said, questioning why the representatives of a particular media organisation had accompanied the police team during the raid on July 22.
Asked if BJP will pull out of the NPP-led MDA government, he said the details of the matter have been sent to the party central leadership. “We are awaiting a response,” he added.
Marak was arrested after his farmhouse was allegedly used for immoral activities following which the police summoned many BJP workers.
