Meghalaya government asked to compensate families of police firing

Shillong, Jul 7 : The Shillong Bench of Gauhati High Court has asked the Meghalaya government to pay adequate compensation to the families of four victims killed by police personnel in 2004 in the Garo Hills.

After the incident, the government had constituted a magisterial inquiry headed by R P Marak, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) in-charge of Dadenggiri civil sub-division, to find out the reasons leading to the incident.

Pronouncing the verdict here yesterday, Chief Justice Madan B Lokur and Justice A Hazarika upheld the findings of the magisterial inquiry on the incident which indicated the involvement of police personnel in the incident.

''Having considered the enquiry report, we have no hesitation to record that the police personnel resorted to firing without any reasonable or acceptable explanation,'' the verdict said.

The court, in its judgment, said the enquiry report submitted by the ADC showed that the evidence of all the witnesses was found to be consistent, credible and corroborative.

''Thus we are of the view that there is no illegality, infirmity or irregularity found in the findings of the said enquiry and the same is accordingly accepted and approved,'' the court stated.

It also said that no objection had been filed by the police against the enquiry report submitted by the ADC.

The court directed the government to pay Rs 3 lakh each to the families of the victims and another Rs 5,000 to be paid by state respondents.

However, since the state government had earlier paid Rs 1 lakh to the victims’ families, the court said the balance amount of Rs 2 lakh along with Rs 5,000 should be paid within three months of the receipt of the court order.

On February 13, 2004, a police party surrounded the compound of one Bilestone Sangma at Bikkonggre village, West Garo Hills, and resorted to firing in which four persons were killed.

The police had earlier claimed that the four persons were shot dead as they were hiding at night with sophisticated weapons in the residential compound of Mr Sangma.