Balsan Marak’s custodial death
SHILLONG: The discrepancies in the timing of the arrest of the victim of custodial death Balsan Marak was revealed in the RTI findings on the matter.
According to the reply to an RTI query, the SP West Garo Hills MK Singh said that Balsan was arrested on May 13 at 8 pm, but in a picture being circulated, Balsan was made to sit on the floor guarded by the constables of Mukesh during the day on May 13.
In an RTI reply SP West Garo Hills has informed CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing that Balsan was arrested on May 13 at 8pm.
As per the photo related to his arrest, Balsan was sitting on the floor in Tura PS on May 13 guarded by well armed constables with Jaynie’s minor son. The Child Welfare Committee (CWC) has taken no action on this as yet. Balsan was tortured and died in custody, but it was denied by the police.
Kharshiing alleged that Balsan had also informed the Judge/Magistrate when he was produced in court, that he was assaulted by the police, but the Judge/ Magistrate did not take action. He died on May 20.
Interestingly, the NHRC Special Rapporteur for Northeast Anil Pradhan visited the Tura Jail just a couple of days before Balsan died and he was informed of the critical condition of Balsan by the other inmates. “When he enquired who the SP was and when he was told it was Mukesh he stopped taking statements and sweated. Maybe it reminds him of the Fullmoon case when Mukesh was the SP Jowai and he was the DGP”, Kharshiing alleged.