SHILLONG, March 28: VPP legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on Tuesday asked the state government to come clean on the matter of former HNLC general secretary Cheristerfield Thangkhiew’s killing.
Moving a cut motion on the last of the budget session of Assembly, he asked who had given the order to the police to eliminate Thangkhiew.
“I am sure no police personnel will have the courage to kill a person if there was no order. I request the government not to find a scapegoat or a small chap who is supposed to simply obey its orders,” Basaiawmoit said.
Stating that the incident was a complete failure of those at the helms of affairs, he said, “Remember that the blood is in the hands of MDA 1.0.”
The VPP legislator said he has full faith in the police department. He said nobody would believe the police, which tamed insurgency in the state, would not have been able to arrest Thangkhiew who was in his sickbed.
He mentioned that Justice (retired) T. Vaiphei had in his report stated the Tactical Team I, which carried out the operation at Thangkhiew’s residence in the wee hours of August 13, 2021, was culpable of thoughtless and excessive use of force that resulted in the killing. Basaiawmoit asked what action was taken based on the report.
“I am sure if the police department were given a free hand to deal with this specific case, the former HNLC general secretary would have been caught alive,” he said.
He alleged the police personnel were not given a chance to deal with the case independently due to excessive interference from the “political masters.” He lamented that the people of Mawlai and the family members of Thangkhiew are still waiting for justice.
In his reply, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, who is also in-charge of Home (Police) department, said the report of the one-man probe panel was tabled in the House along with the action taken report.
He said the government has received a report from the Tactical Team and will examine it before taking further steps. He assured that action will be taken as per the recommendation of the probe panel.
Tynsong also said that the police had gone to Thangkhiew’s house with the intention to arrest him. Basaiawmoit refused to withdraw the cut motion by stating that he was not satisfied with the Deputy CM’s reply.
Earlier, participating in the cut motion, Congress legislator Celestine Lyngdoh urged the government to allow the police to do their job. He said they were doing a wonderful job but the only pity is that they are not allowed to be efficient in certain areas.
“Please set them free. Let the police do the work that they are meant to do,” Lyngdoh said.
Meanwhile, he said the cops, both men and women, were duly compensated all these years for forgoing holidays with one-month basic pay annually. But now, they are paid a meagre sum of around Rs 5,000 for the same.
“I feel it is an insult if we compare it with other government staff who are enjoying holidays on a Saturday, Sunday and every designated holiday,” the Congress MLA said.
Lyngdoh urged the government to look into the grievances of the personnel and compensate the sacrifices they made.
Basaiawmoit said Meghalaya has another tribe in the form of “high-level tribe.”
“We failed to understand why the police could not see the movement of coal-laden trucks. But the same police are efficient in nabbing the drug traffickers,” he said, asking who is responsible for this poor image of the police department.
He said even the High Court of Meghalaya lost its confidence in the state police. He reminded that the court had directed the government to deploy the CISF for checking the illegal transportation of coal.
“Will the CISF be deployed? What will be the responsibility of the state police?” Basaiawmoit asked.
In his reply, Tynsong claimed that the police have been given a free hand to handle crime, law and order and any issues relating to the safety and security of the people.
“We never interfered in the function of the police personnel,” he said.
He assured that steps will be taken to address the grievances being faced by the personnel to boost their morale. He said he will lead a team to Delhi to meet the officials of the Home Ministry and discuss the various aspects relating to the modernization of the state police.
On the deployment of the CISF, Tynsong said he would not like to talk much on the High Court’s ruling.
“I can only say that our police are equipped to handle things on their own,” he said.
