After Balsan, another dies in lockup

TURA, MAY 28: Close on the heel of the custodial death of Balsan Marak, an alleged over ground worker of the GNLA Witson M Sangma died in the police lockup at Chokpot police station in South Garo hills district on Tuesday night.

Twenty eight year old Witson M. Sangma was arrested on Tuesday but on the same night he died in the police lockup. The death of Witson sparked off huge protest in Chokpot with people shouting anti-police slogan outside the police station for over an hour.

Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) Peter Hanaman told this website that Witson was an over ground worker of the GNLA and was arrested as he was responsible for planting of IED. He informed, “After his arrest yesterday he was in fact taken to a doctor for medical checkup before being put in the police lockup.”

According to Hanaman the doctor had said Witson was suffering from hypertension. He said, “I do not know whether the doctor prescribed any medicine, but after the dinner he was put in the lockup and unfortunately he died.”

Reacting to the death in the police lockup, Hanaman said that there will be the standard magisterial inquiry and also the NHRC procedure to ascertain the actual cause of death of anyone who dies in police custody.

Even as the ngos are still agitating over the custodial death of Balsan Marak, another death in police lockup has only managed to add to the woes of the state government. Balsan had died in judicial custody in the Tura Civil hospital after he was arrested in connection with the illegal detention and torture of twelve girls in West Garo hills district.

Though chief minister Mukul Sangma had assured the agitating ngos that the government will not spare anyone who are indicted by the twin probes constituted by the government to find out the causes of Balsan’s death and accordingly requested the ngos to ensure peace but the ngos led by the Garo Students Union (GSU) rejected his request and instead held a public meeting on Tuesday demanding a judicial probe into Balsan’s death.

Opposition legislator and NPP spokesman James K Sangma said on Wednesday that people are tired of the assurance of the chief minister and another custodial death on Tuesday night only points that something is seriously wrong in the policing system. He said, “It is high time for the government to introspect and admit its mistakes”.

Sangma informed that the opposition will raise the issue of Balsan’s custodial death in the upcoming assembly session slated to begins from June 6. He said the opposition will seek reply from the government on the sordid law and order situation in Garo hills.

Meanwhile reacting to Witson  custodial death ,Meghalaya IGP (law & order) GHP Raju said, “NHRC guidelines are sacrosanct and shall be adhered in letter and spirit. There are institutional measures in place in all cases of unfortunate deaths in police or judicial custody”.

Requesting the public and ngos to have faith in the institutional mechanism devised by NHRC to deal with all cases of custodial death, Raju said, “Any death of persons in custody is painful. Public and ngos should refrain from taking law in their own hands or cause misery to common people by resorting to bandhs, etc”.

Raju went on to say that any agitations by the ngos or  people would only strengthen the hands of militant groups.- By Our Reporter