SHILLONG, JUNE 26: Kulbir Kishan, the Director General (Prison), was removed on Wednesday night from his post after four Under Trail Prisoners (UTPs) got into a fight with the jailed Garo National Liberation Council (GNLA) chairman Champion R Sangma inside the high security prison in the Shillong District Jail on Wednesday morning.
All the four were injured and rushed to the Shillong Civil hospital, but the four UTPs who attacked Champion were released after first aid but the militant leader was admitted in the hospital.
The fight inside the jail premises, especially in the high security cell where the militant leader (Champion) was lodged, has rankled the state home department officials and the political class. On Wednesday evening he was removed as DG (Prison) but will continue to hold the post of the DG (Home Guards & Civil Defence).
Home department official told this website that the present acting Meghalaya DGP Prem Singh is likely to come as DG (Prison). Peter Hanneman, it is said, will be appointed as full-fledged Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP).
Early on Wednesday, the scuffle between Champion and the four UTPs took place at around 8.15 am in the overcrowded jail. In the violent chaos the GNLA leader sustained serious head injury and his attackers also were injured and were immediately rushed to the Shillong Civil hospital.
The four UTPs have been identified as Sankyntiew Decruise (who had escaped with Fullmoon during the infamous Shillong jailbreak incident), Milstone G Momin, Polab D Sangma and Suresh M Sangma. All the four have been discharged after first aid treatment but Champion was admitted in the hospital.
After the big fight, Kishan had told reporters that Sankyntiew is behind the attack on Champion. He said the attack had taken place inside the high security ward outside Champion’s cell.
Kulbir said that Sankyntiew is a notorious UTP and department had punished him many time earlier He alsosaid allowing other inmates to get access to high security ward is against the rules and action will be taken on the lapses as soon as the inquiry report is submitted. He has also expressed concern on the congestion in the jail.
Kishan said the incident broke out in the morning inside the high security cell where the GNLA leader was lodged. Interestingly, it remains an enigma as to how the other UTPs got access to the high security cell where the militant leader is lodged.
Kishan had also ordered a probe into incident and the reason for outbreak of violence. He said, “I have ordered an enquiry to probe into the lapses in the jail premises and how other inmates got access into the high security area where the militant leader was lodged.” He assured he would get into the bottom of the incident.- By Our Reporter
