NGO demands CBI inquiry into policeman's death

A day after the Special Investigation Team (SIT) arrested five persons for allegedly abetting suicide of a police officer here this January, a leading NGO today demanded a CBI inquiry into the case, alleging that the SIT probe was full of "loopholes".
"We demand a CBI inquiry as this is very much a clear murder of an honest (police) officer," Civil Society Women Organisation president Agnes Kharshiing said in a statement here.
Since many of the senior police officers have coal quarries in West Khasi Hills district hence they would not do justice, she alleged, according to the statement.
Alleging that there were "too many loopholes" in the SIT investigation the CSWO president said a CBI inquiry was hence required.

Sub Inspector P J Marbaniang, an officer in charge of Patharkhmah PS along the Assam-Meghalaya border, was found with gun-shot wounds on his head on January 24 at his official quarter.
The arrest was made as per information provided in the six FIRs lodged by the SIT and among those arrested were a state civil servant, a contractor and a village chief.

The accused had exerted pressure on the police officer to facilitate the movement of illegal movement of trucks from West Khasi Hills district to Sukurbira bordering Assam and leading to the officer taking his own life, SIT chief and East Khasi Hills district SP (City) Vivek Syiem had said.

Kharshiing pointed out that the register at the Patharkhmah CHC clearly mentioned that the bullet entry was from the back of head when he was brought there at 9.30 PM that day.
While no case was registered, Kharshiing also questioned as to why did the police wait half an hour for an ambulance to take him to the nearest CHC, which in fact is just a stone's throw away.
The CSWO leader further asked that why the DSP (Crime) who was in the out post also did not escort the body of the slain police officer to the CHC and to the Guwahati-based GNRC and why was post mortem not conducted there, the statement said.