SHILLONG, Sep 9: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said the members of the police’s Tactical Team-1 have been called for an explanation based on the report of the Justice T Vaiphei inquiry commission tabled in the Assembly on Friday.
He also said the government honoured its commitment to the people to make the report on the killing of former HNLC leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew public.
“We had to wait for the report. Now that it has been tabled in the House, we will be acting and an explanation has been sought from the Tactical Team-1,” Sangma said.
The judicial panel found that Tactical Team-1 was responsible for Thangkhiew’s death. “But the team members have to be given a chance to be heard,” he said.
Pointing out that the report has recommendations and does not suggest actions, Sangma said the government has to ensure the process of natural justice through appropriate action after the explanation of the team members is weighed.
“But we have to remember that there was evidence of his (Thangkhiew’s) involvement in four IED blasts, in which some people got seriously injured,” he said, narrating how the police were tipped off about another IED blast and took the step in the larger interest of the safety of the people.
“One has to see that angle too,” he said.
The police, Sangma said, had a 24 to 28-hour window to ensure the blast did not happen and innocent lives were not lost.
He said the inquiry was completely independent and the panel submitted its report in a transparent manner. “The inquiry was conducted because of the concerns and wishes of the people.”
On the concealment of the names of witnesses and those involved in the operations, he said disclosing the names of these officers could seriously endanger their lives. There are also some sensitive names of the people who provided valuable inputs, he added.
On the usage of excessive force by the police during the botched operation, as mentioned in the report, Sangma said: “It is important to see paras 34 and 35 on page 27, which say the police had to make a call.”
He said the commission made a lot of observations on the way the operation was carried out and suggested it could have been done differently. This, he added, merited an explanation from the team that handled the operation.
“One has to understand that the police acted on months of hard work to ensure the safety of our citizens,” he said, pointing out that the commission, as well as the investigations conducted by the police, agreed on the imminent threat of an IED black in Shillong.
“All the recommendations of the commission are positive in nature and they will definitely help in improving the police services. We will look into these suggestions,” Sangma said.
TMC demands independent inquiry
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mukul Sangma demanded that the MDA government should constitute an independent inquiry to find out if there was a criminal conspiracy to kill Thangkhiew.
“The inquiry should be by either the NIA or the CBI so that we get all the answers. The government has to institute an independent inquiry to instil confidence among the people,” he said while referring to the Vaiphei report that said the operation leading to Thangkhiew’s death was reflective of culpable and thoughtless excessive use of force.
The TMC leader said the police need to ensure minimum collateral damage but there are SOPs for conducting raids as had been followed against banned terror organisations in urban and rural areas of the state earlier.
He said the police ideally wait for dawn so that there is clear visibility to minimise any collateral damage, including harming the family members of any suspect targeted.
Questioning the police’s claim that they had intelligence inputs about cadres of some militant group staying in Thangkhiew’s residence, the TMC leader said he has always taken pride in the intelligence gathering system of the police. “But are they shielding themselves by making such a claim?” he asked.
TMC’s Mawsynram legislator HM Shangpliang suspected a criminal conspiracy behind Thangkhiew’s death, agreeing with the Vaiphei panel’s observation that the police should have waited till dawn to carry out its operation on August 13, 2021, and carried night vision devices.
He, however, said he was satisfied with the report of the Vaiphei panel.
