Govt to institute Independent inquiry into attack on social activist

Informing this after the Cabinet meeting held here on Monday, Home Minister James K Sangma said, “The government has decided to institute an independent fact-finding inquiry into the circumstances that led to the current incident at East Jaintia Hills District.”

Sangma informed that the political department has been asked to work out the modalities which include the term of reference of the independent inquiry in consultation with the law department.

Whether any timeframe was given on the matter, the home minister said that the process will start immediately from tomorrow even as he expressed confidence that it will be done in a very short span of time.

Asked, Sangma however said that as the usual practice it is always a judge or a retired judge who should be heading such kind of an inquiry.

Agnes and her aide Amita Sangma were critically injured after they were brutally attacked by a group of 30-40 people suspected to be coal mafias at Tuber Sohshrieh village in East Jaintia Hills District, just after taking pictures of coal laden trucks on November 8.

Both are still undergoing treatment in the super-specialty hospital at the North Eastern Regional Institute of Health and Medical Science.  So far, police have arrested seven persons for their alleged involvement in the attack.

Not denying about the illegal transportation of coal that is taking place in the state, the home minister said “the government is very concern about this issue and the inquiry is also to get to the genesis of the matter. We want this to be a very comprehensive inquiry as we are of the belief that the incident has to be looked at in totality.”

Sangma also pointed out that a lot of things have been happening since 2014 when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) first imposed a ban on coal mining in Meghalaya and it could have led to the incident.

“I think when you talk of a magistrate inquiring he will confine only to a particular incident but we feel that no we need to go back and go to the genesis,” he said while reacting to the enquiry instituted by the district administration.

Meanwhile, the home minister said that the government will definitely look into the aspect of compensation to be released to the victims of the brutal attack as he informed that the government is taking care of the medical expenses of both Agnes and Amita.

By Our Reporter