Curfew imposed after mob attack police

BAGHMARA, MAY 29: Indefinite curfew has imposed in Chokpot in South Garo hills district after angry mob went on the rampage and torched three police vehicles over the custodial death of Wiston M Sangma. Curfew was imposed at around 5 pm on Thursday.

The angry mob stoned the police station after it had gheraoed on Thursday after the police did not allow the people in this small town to gather over the issue of the custodial death of Wiston, arrested allegedly for being an over ground worker of GNLA, but died in police lockup.

Police claimed that Wiston died of hypertension,  but the locals are not buying the police version and instead feel that he was actually beaten up to death.

The people from Chokpot and surrounding areas had gathered at the Chokpot playground to discuss the death of Witson but were stopped by the police team.

A crowd of more than 3000 people coming from villages like Jetra, Kakija, Gopgre, Mitap, Silki, Deku, Warima and Rajarongat had come for the meeting and also condole and condemn the death of Wiston in custody.

However immediately after the police asked the gathering to disperse the crowd turned violent and also questioned the whereabouts of the Wiston body which had been taken to Baghmara last night.

The agitated mob quickly surrounded the police station and when asked to disperse by the police began starting pelting stones.

Irate crowd allegedly used petrol bombs that gutted two police Gypsy and a police van. The angry mob also used logs and stones to block all route in and out of the town to  prevent others to come and help the police.

South Garo hills SP Lakador Syiem confirming the incident said , “The people gathered around the police thana and began pelting stones at the thana itself. Most of the people inside took cover. They also burnt 3 police vehicles, besides blockading the road. We were unable to lathi charge them as they were using small school children at the front of the crowd. The scene continued for more than 4 hours as the mob sporadically kept up their attack.”

Syiem informed that only after additional forces arrived from Tura and Baghmara that the situation was able to contain.

There is also a conflicting reports that alleged that the police resorted to blank firing to which Syiem denied saying that the police showed restrain fearing the situation could get worse.

The locals however alleged that the police team not only open blank firing but continued to sporadically fire for an hour.

After the arrival of additional forces the security forces undertook flag march around the whole town making people retreat to safety.

Curfew was declared in the whole Chokpot block immediately after the police brought the situation under  control.

Two custodial deaths in Garo hills within eight days have left the Garo hills region in fragile. Locals have been clamouring for an unbiased investigation into Balsan Marak and Jitson Sangma custodial cases either by a retired judge or CBI

The Garo Students Union (GSU) along with other ngos have called a bandh June 2 over the custodial death of Balsan Marak.- From Our Correspondent