Tura, May 3: In a major development into the largely forgotten encounter case of Sengbath Ch Marak, the son of the Nokma of Oragitok under West Garo Hills (WGH) was once again brought into the limelight, after the Meghalaya High Court sought an inquiry into the incident to be undertaken by the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI).
On Mar 4, 2015, an encounter took place in the village of Oragitok after information was received by the police of GNLA militants being taking shelter in the Romba Adinggre LP School compound. As per the police report and investigation, a group of militants were holed up within the compound with the police calling out to them to surrender.
The militants, as per the police version, began to fire at the policemen resulting in the police retaliating. Sengbath, who they claimed was among the militants rushed out of the house and was initially shot in the leg before once again being shot when attempting to run away, resulting in his death.
After the encounter, the police allegedly recovered a country made pistol along with other incriminating documents to prove that the person killed was indeed a GNLA operative.
The police encounter, when it was reported the next day, spread like wildfire after villagers reported that entire incident to be staged and Sengbath had been uselessly killed. He was 33 when killed by the police.
The police personnel involved in the incident included the then CI of Tura Sadar PS, BN Marak, the I/C of Rongram, BA Bamon , Mingran T Sangma among others.
Following the incident and following eye witness accounts, the father of the deceased, Abal M Sangma went to the Meghalaya HC after filing an FIR at Rongram alleging the encounter was fake.
As per witnesses, stones were thrown at the house of Sengbath, who was alone at the time asking him to come out. He proceeded to do so but upon coming out was immediately shot in the leg and when he tried to escape from the gunfire was continually shot by until he died from the gunfire. Mingran T Sangma was alleged to be the first to shoot at Sengbath before every one reigned fire in the presence of CI BN Marak and BA Bamon in the presence of other police personnel.
The versions of the two parties were heard by the HC with holes being punched by Abal’s counsel into the encounter. After many sessions and the Court finding many loopholes found in the police version of events, the HC yesterday allowed for a CBI inquiry into the encounter.