Shillong, August 5: Under police custody, arrested Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) chairman Champion R Sangma is said to be contemplating holding talks with the State government. This can be gauged from the tenor of the conversation the arrested militant leader had with his advocate Sujit Dey.
Speaking to this scribe on Sunday, Dey said his client “Had expressed his wish to discuss this particular issue with the government.”
However, with the Meghalaya government not too eager for holding any dialogue with the GNLA and its commander-in-chief Sohan D Shira still at large continuing the reign of terror, Sangma’s desire for a talk might just be a wishful thinking.
After his arrested police have put registered a case under case no. 27 (7) at Pynursla Police Station, under section 120, 120 (a), 120 (b), 121 read with section 16, 38 under unlawful act. The prevailing act of 1967 is non-bailable but Champion’s lawyer said he would defend his client.
“As per the constitution, I am duty bound to defend my client and I shall do so now that I have been officially appointed via the Valakatnama,” advocate Dey said on Sunday, a day after he had met his client.
The power of attorney (Valakatnama) was signed by Enritha Marak, wife of Champion R Marak and handed over to Dey on on August 3, 2012. However as Dey is yet to get a certified copy of the case record, he is not in a position to speak much about the case registered against his client.
“I will file application for the papers and only then will I know what are the allegations leveled against my client,” Dey said. He also informed that as the case is non-bailable, “It will depend on the discretion of the court whether or not to grant his client bail.”
Defending Champion, Dey informed that a person cannot be treated as a criminal unless and until it is proved beyond reasonable doubt in the court of law. Dey said, “Only after due process of law then he can be convicted.”
Rubbishing report appearing in one local daily that Champion is being ‘treated as a king,’ Dey said, “My client is given the facilities by the detaining authority as per law and constitutional rights and not more.”- By Tina Collette
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