To investigate 2015 Oragitok encounter High Court asks CBI
To investigate 2015 Oragitok encounter High Court asks CBI
TURA: In a major development in the largely forgotten encounter of Sengbath Ch Marak, son of the Nokma (leader) of Oragitok under West Garo Hills (WGH), the Meghalaya High Court has ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to I)demanded an investigation.
On March 4, 2015, an encounter took place in Oragitok village after the police received a tip-off that GNLA militants were sheltering in the premises of Romba Adinggre LP School. According to the police report and investigation, a group of militants were hiding in the compound and the police called them to surrender.
According to the police, the militants started firing at the policemen, as a result of which the police retaliated. Sengbath, who they claimed was among the militants, came out of the house and was initially shot in the leg, before being shot again as he tried to flee. went, which resulted in his death.
After the encounter, the police allegedly recovered an improvised pistol along with other incriminating documents to prove that the dead man was indeed a GNLA worker.
The police encounter, when it was reported the next day, spread like wildfire as villagers reported that the entire incident took place and that 33-year-old Sengbath was killed for no reason.
Among the policemen involved in the incident were Tura Sadar PS, BN Marak, the I/C of Rongram, BA Bamon, and Mingaran T Sangma.
Following the incident and eyewitness accounts, the deceased’s father, Abal M. Sangma, filed an FIR in Rongram, alleging the encounter was fake in the Meghalaya High Court.
According to eyewitnesses, stones were thrown at the house of Sengbath, who was alone at the time, asking him to come out. He proceeded to do so but as he stepped out he was shot in the leg and when he tried to dodge the gunfire, he was shot repeatedly until he died of the bullet. Mingaran T. Sangma is alleged to have been the first person to open fire in Sengbath before everyone opened fire in the presence of CI BN Marak and BA Bamon, among other policemen.
