SHILLONG, MAY 2: Meghalaya home minister Roshan Warjri promised the Garo Students Union (GSU) of looking into the mysterious death of two students who were working in a coal mine in South West Khasi hills district. The assurance came after the union submitted a petition to Warjri.
“The home minister has assured to take appropriate action on the matter,” GSU-Khasi Hills Zone general secretary Zikku Balgra N Marak said on Friday.
In a memorandum submitted to Warjri, the GSU-KHZ demanded an independent enquiry into the cold blooded murder of students by alleged coal mine owner and the villagers of Kulang village in South West Khasi hills district.
According to the union, three students – Salman T Sangma of Gillagora, Wenrich D Sangma of Lower Phuksora and Sengrak Ch Marak had approached the coal mine sardar and the owner Sanjay Pal of Kulang mine for providing them with employment as daily labourers. Accordingly they were given employment.
The union said the three started working from April 2 but when they requested for their wages, the sardar refused to pay resulting in arguments. Marak said, “The sardar got wild and started calling his other labourers and local people who together severely assaulted the three students with lethal weapon.”
Marak claimed that the sardar hit one of the students by pick axe on his head resulting in instant death. The other two students were senseless because of severe injuries.
Thinking all the three were dead, the mob led by the sardar threw them in a nearby gorge but fortunately Sengrak Ch Sangma regained his senses the next day and managed to reach the nearest outpost of Kulang and narrated the incident to the police.
Marak alleged that the police instead of registering a case detained and assaulted him mercilessly. He said the victim succumbed to his injuries at CHC Ranikor in South West Khasi Hills. He informed that before dying the student narrated the incident to the doctor and his relative but his statement was not recorded.
The union informed that Wenrich D Sangma is still missing and suspected he too must have been killed. The union also demanded a probe into the nexus of coalmine sardar and the police.
The union also requested to the state government to pay compensation to the next of kin of the students and punish the culprits.- By Our Reporter
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