Meghalaya: Former HNLC leader Cherishterfield Thangkhew killed in ‘major operation’, says inquiry panel

Shillong: HNLC leader Cherishterfield Thangkhiew was killed in a “forced operation”.

This was stated in the report of a one-member commission of inquiry.

The inquiry report revealed that the raid was well planned. However, it was poorly executed.

Justice Vaiphei said in his report that the raid was a “confused operation”.
The main objective of the raid was to capture the former HNLC leader alive.

The commission’s report said, “In my opinion, after entering the tiger’s den in the dark without proper planning and without proper precautions, State Witness No. 4 took a totally avoidable and unnecessary risk.” risking his own life and that of the dead, which the team claimed was not his intention to kill him in the first place.
“In my view, the post facto excuse that no one was injured except the deceased cannot be a reasonable justification for the hasty and careless operation by Tactical Team-I,” the report said.
“My finding is that Tactical Team-I conducted an operation on 13-8-2021 at 3 AM to arrest the deceased at his residence, he was premeditated and guilty of excessive use of force, resulting in The death of the deceased occurred in, late Charisterfield Thangkhiew, which turned out to be avoidable,” Justice Vaiphei said in her report.
The inquiry report was tabled in the Meghalaya Assembly on Friday.

Demonstrations broke out in Shillong shortly after the report was tabled in the Meghalaya Assembly, and security was beefed up across the city.

Former HNLC leader Cherishterfield Thangkhiew was killed in an encounter on the morning of August 13 last year.