By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 22: The banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council on Friday said the police officer responsible for the alleged killing of its former leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew will have to face the consequences.
In a statement, HNLC general secretary cum publicity secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said Thangkhiew’s killing in a staged encounter is believed to have been a political conspiracy involving certain ministers of the MDA government.
“We have identified the person responsible for Bah Che’s (Cheristerfield) death… The repeated lies and efforts of the police to hide the truth are evident, oblivious to the fact that trying to bury the truth only postpones its eventual exposure,” Nongtraw said, threatening to punish Thangkhiew’s killer.
He trashed the claim of the authorities that the HNLC misguides and lures youths with monetary benefits and vehicles.
“It has been observed that the state and central governments reward law enforcement officers and soldiers who engage in the harassment, torture, killing, and imprisonment of indigenous leaders and innocent civilians with money, titles, promotions, ribbons, medals, and other awards,” he said.
Nongtraw said the Hynniewtrep youths are also entitled to be rewarded by their community or the HNLC if they fight and eliminate the “aggressors and oppressors who pose a real threat to our people and our nation”.
On behalf of the HNLC, he commended the youth for their willingness to make sacrifices for their community.
“They stand out in sharp contrast to the police, who appear to prioritize non-tribal interests,” he added.
Nongtraw observed that many Khasi police officers like Claudia Lyngwa and Vivek Syiem conceal their true identities behind the facade of Hynniewtrep.
He also said the HNLC was surprised by the police contradicting their claim about an audio recording, which allegedly features an arrested suspected member of the outfit conversing with HNLC’s military commander Sanbor Pala.
“Is the police department now suggesting that the late Cheristerfield Thangkhiew might still be alive? Who will be next? Will they target NGO leaders simply based on suspicion of being Sanbor Pala?” he asked, pointing to the “wrongful arrest” of Tarzan Lymba on suspicion of being involved in the Harijan Colony IED blast.
Referring to the report of 2022 by a panel headed by retired judge T. Vaiphei, Nongtraw said the police accused “Thangkhiew alias Sanbor Pala” of involvement in extorting money and carrying out IED blasts.
“This situation has resulted in two significant issues: a breakdown in police intelligence and deception towards the public, NGOs, and Thangkhiew’s family – that Bah Cheristerfield was Sanbor Pala and operated under that alias,” he said.
Outfit luring youth through social media
The banned HNLC is luring youth into their fold for carrying out illegal activities through the use of technology and social media.
Revealing this, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Rituraj Ravi said through the ongoing investigation into the IED blast, police have come to know that HNLC is using new ways to contact and lure youths to commit illegal activities.
Urging the youths not to fall into their trap, Ravi said police are fully equipped to deal with whatever technology that the outfit is using.
Making it clear that anybody involved in conspiracy, abetment and financing the HNLC to carry out blasts will be brought to justice, the district police chief added that the financing aspect is one of the crucial elements of the police investigation.
Refusing to call anyone who pays money to a banned outfit as victims, the SP said that the people who have been asked to pay to HNLC should report the matter to the police.
“If anybody has not reported, it is nothing but conspiracy,” the SP added.