SHILLONG, MAY 21: The custodial death of Balsan Marak is snowballing into a major headache for chief minister Mukul Sangma as all business establishments in Tura remain close for two hours as a mark of protest even as the NPP Tura MP Purno A Sangma has threatened to take up the matter with the union home ministry.
The closure was between 3 pm to 5 pm.
The threat of the NPP MP came after the party had demanded the resignation of the chief minister, home minister and removal of the West Garo hills SP Mukesh Singh, who the party said has a role to play in the death of Balsan Marak.
Garo hills based ngos had given a two hours business establishment closure call to protest against the custodial death on Wednesday. Even the family of the deceased has demanded a CBI probe into the death of Balsan.
Purno Sangma said he condemns the incident and will take up this matter with the union home ministry. This message has been conveyed to the deceased family by NPP leader Conrad Sangma who paid a visit to the bereaved family.
Balsan was laid to rest on Wednesday. He died on Tuesday while in judicial custody at the Tura civil hospital.
Balsan was arrested along with four others on May 13 for allegedly role in the incident where twelve girls were illagel held captive and tortured for eight days.
The deceased family however said he was innocent as he was only a friend of the minor son of Jaynie Sangma, who is one of the accused in the case.
Balsan family members said there are visible marks of torture on the body of Marak even today and his hand was broken. The victim’s mother Mina Marak said that no matter what the police say the family is convinced that he was beaten up in custody as
Legislator Rophul S. Marak, a close relative of Balsan Marak, also claims that the deceased was forced by the police to confess to the crime he did not commit. He said, “We will approach appropriate authority to provide justice to him. What did he confess when he was not even involved in the case.”
The legislator claims that the family has travel records to prove that he was only in Tura the day when he was arrested. He questioned, “So what did he have to confess?” – By Our Reporter
