‘Miscommunication led to police firing at Moolaber’
SHILLONG: The Hamren police chief (SP) D Deori’s failure to inform his subordinates about the operations by Meghalaya Police at Moolaber in West Jaintia Hills led the Assam police team posted in the border mistakenly firing at Meghalaya police personnel on Saturday, an inquiry report said.
Meghalaya DSP Ploster Syiem, who was leading a team to take on Karbi militants, was injured after the Assam Police team led by Assistant Inspector of Police Paban Bordoloi mistakenly fired at them.
“There was a glaring failure on the part of Hamren SP, D. Deori to intimate Assistant inspector of police (ASI) Paban Bordoloi of Mookylum police outpost on the operation to be conducted by Meghalaya police. The Hamren SP called back ASI from Skap village without, however intimating about the presence of police personnel from West Jaintia Hills,” said the official report submitted to the Meghalaya Chief Secretary.
Following the incident, Meghalaya police on Sunday filed an FIR against the ASI and his team besides registering strong protest with Assam.
According to the official report, West Jaintia Hills police followed the procedure and informed the counterpart on the Long Range Patrolling conducted at Moolaber at November 7 and 8.
“It is pertinent to state the fact that there was no application of mind by the ASI, Bordoloi when he spotted the Meghalaya police team as Bordoloi along with his team started firing indiscriminately despite the fact that police officer in charge Raliang had informed Bordoloi of their patrolling and that Meghalaya police was moving in a residential area”, the report said.
According to the report, it is a well established fact that the “first shot was fired by Assam police”. The report further urged the State Government to take up with Assam Government for payment of compensation to the injured DSP.
The report also favoured counter insurgency operation in the border by Assam police with the assistance from Army
