Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma will lead a cabinet delegation to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on November 24, to demand for a CBI or NIA probe into the Assam police firing incident which killed five persons from Meghalaya.
After chairing a cabinet meeting, Sangma said that a cabinet delegation will be meeting the Home Minister of India Amit Shah on November 24.
“We will be officially informing him (Shah) about the firing incident that took place in Mukroh village and we will be demanding that an investigation be made by a central agency either NIA or CBI,” he said.
He informed that the delegation would also be meeting and submitting a report on the incident to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in New Delhi, for necessary action.
The chief minister said that an SIT will be constituted to investigate into this case as FIR has been lodged. The SIT will be headed by DIG of Eastern Range.
“While we appeal to government of India that a central agency should take over the investigation in the meantime, this SIT will start conducting this investigation and as and when the government of India hands it over or approve this investigation to be headed by a central agency then the investigation will be handed over to them,” he said.
Further, Sangma informed that the government has also decided to constitute a Judicial Commission under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952 to look into all the aspects of the incident that has taken place.
The chief minister along with deputy chief minister Prestone Tynsong, PHE minister Renikton Lyngdoh Tongkhar and Minister for Revenue and Disaster Management Kyrmen Shylla will also be visiting Mukroh village on Wednesday.
“During our visit to Mukroh, we will be meeting the families of the individuals who have lost their lives and we will go and we will express our condolences and also handover the ex-gratia cheques to them,” Sangma said.
“I had a telephonic conversation with the Assam chief minister and in the discussion I have expressed our very deep concern about the incident that had taken place and briefed him about how the situation had happened and appeal to him that immediate action should be taken against the officials who are involved or responsible for what happened in Mukroh village,” he added.
He said based on this discussion with Assam chief minister, the Officer in-charge of Jirikinding police station and the forest range protection officer who were involved in the incident were immediately suspended while the SP of West Karbi Anglong district has been transferred.
“At the same time the Assam government also will be taking necessary steps to investigate the matter in consultation with the Meghalaya government. The Assam government has assured that whatever demand that we put to the government of India, the Assam government will cooperate to ensure that justice is done and those who are guilty are punished,” he added.
Whether there will be a joint probe into the incident, the chief minister said, “Since the judicial commission under commission inquiry Act, 1952 the discussion will be done and if necessary we can explore that option also but as of now, the cabinet has decided that we will go ahead with the judicial commission how and what shape it will be whether it will joint or whether it will just by our own state, a commission will be put or with consultation with the central government those aspects will be worked on.”
Asked if the Assam government should also pay compensation to the families of the deceased victims, Sangma said, “I am of the opinion that it should be done. We are speaking on behalf of our government and we are going to give the ex-gratia. As far as the information that comes to me, the Assam government also may do the same.”
Meanwhile, the state government has decided to suspend all official government programmes including laying of foundation stones or inauguration of any programmes or projects till November 30, as a mark of respect to the departed souls.
“We have also decided that all festivals of the government of Meghalaya in any part of the state all the festivals will be cancelled and none of the festivals will take place as this is sad incident that has taken place and hence keeping that in mind to show the solidarity with the families who have lost their loved ones, the government of Meghalaya has decided that all festivals throughout the state will be cancelled,” he said.