Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed that the chief ministerial level talks have decided to wind up the judicial inquiry commissions into Mukroh incident and instead both the governments will request the CBI to investigate the matter.
Talking to media after the chief ministerial level talks between Assam and Meghalaya Sarma said both the governments will request CBI not to register the case either in Shillong or Guwahati but in a neutral venue.
“As a confidence building measure and not to put the respective officers of both the States in difficulties, we have decided to windup the judicial commissions ordered by Assam and Meghalaya to inquire the Mukroh firing incident. Instead both the governments will request the CBI to investigate the matter. We will also request the CBI not to register the case either in Shillong or Guwahati but in a neutral venue so that central government agency can inquire the incident of violence,” The Assam CM said.
Sarma said that the decision to wind up the judicial commission because none of them has been able to make any progress adding that the Meghalaya witnesses are not willing to depose before the Assam judicial commission and Assam witnesses are coming to depose before the Meghalaya judicial commission.
Another decision taken in the meeting was to withdraw the police personnel from the disputed border areas and entrust the border guarding duty to the CRPF.
Assam CM Himanta Sarma said in Khanduli – Psiar area this year, Assam police has set up a police outpost. And Meghalaya police have also put up a police outpost in front of it, making it almost an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation.
“So, what we have decided today, CRPF will be deployed by both the state in the border outposts,” he said.
Meghalaya CM meanwhile said, it was decided that the central reserve police force (CRPF) will be deployed as a ‘neutral force’ in the disputed areas of Assam and Meghalaya.
He said that both the state governments have decided to pull back their respective police forces from such areas and this is being done to build up the confidence level of the people.“This is being done to send a positive message to the people and as I said neutral forces will come into those places and that way we will ensure that there is no violence.”
He also added that both the state governments have also asked their respective regional committee chairmen and senior officials to visit the locations and ensure that peace prevail in such sensitive areas.