SHILLONG, Dec 8: Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Thursday said the cabinet has directed the Home Department to take action into the killing of former HNLC leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew.
“We have already sent it to the Home Department and they will have to send it to the Political Department. If there is a need for discussion in the cabinet we will do it,” Tynsong said, without elaborating on the nature of action to be taken by the government.
The report of the one-man commission of inquiry, headed by Justice (retd) T Vaiphei, tabled on the floor of the House on September 9 had stated that Thangkhiew was killed in a “botched-up operation”.
The report said the operation to arrest Thangkhiew was carried out by the Tactical Team-I in a reckless manner and was a “culpable of thoughtless and excessive use of force’, which resulted in his death. Earlier, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma asserted that whatever action needs to be taken will be on the basis of fair inquiry. “One cannot simply take action since it has to be based on some kind of inquiry and some kind of proof. We will take action as and when the judicial inquiry submits its report,” the CM had said.
The Ka Sur Ka Bri U Hynniewtrep (KSKBUH) is unhappy with the inquiry commission report and has been demanding that the Tactical Team-I should be punished as it was stated in the inquiry that the team has used “excessive force” while raiding the house of Thangkhiew which subsequently led to his death.
