Govt awaits report from investigating officer

SHILLONG, May 6: The state government is expecting a report from the investigating officer (IO) by Monday on the the case of BSF shooting a truck driver dead at Pomshutia along the Pynursla-Dawki road.
“We are aware of the incident and the concerning investigation officer has been asked to immediately give us a report and once the report comes in as per law we will take a decision,” said Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Saturday.
Deputy Chief Minister also in-charge Home (police) Prestone Tynsong said, “The law is there, the IO, SP are on the job to get all the details on what really happened on the ground. I have already sent a team and the SP has been instructed to do things fast”.
“May be by Monday the report will reach my table,” he added.
Asked about the cattle smuggling angle, he said, “From the BSF’s point of view, the truck was carrying cattle. I cannot comment until and unless the report is completed”.  “I will also be convening a meeting in the coming days since currently the investigation is still on,” Tynsong told reporters here on Saturday.
As per preliminary assessment of the case, it seems that the BSF personnel had to shoot since the truck driver did not stop the truck, Tynsong said.
When asked why there was deployment BSF at Pomshutia, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the BSF’s mandate was to guard the international border with Bangladesh.
He, however, said that may be had an intelligence network on the alleged cattle smuggling which prompted the BSF to deploy its forces in the area.
Tynsong said he could not confirm if there is alleged smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh. “But there must be something since the BSF got information about the movement of the trucks carrying cattle,” he said.