A local court in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills district has accepted a charge sheet filed by the police against state Social Welfare Minister Deborah Marak and Tennydard Marak for allegedly using outlawed Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) for intimidating voters during last year's Assembly elections, officials said.
Taking cognizance of the charge sheet, the court of Justice F S Sangma has issued summon notices to the Minister and Tennydard, District Police chief J F K Marak said.
The minister, a four-time legislator from Williamnagar constituency in the district, was charged with using GNLA militants to intimidate voters in the last state Assembly elections even as she denied the police claims.
Independent candidate from Williamangar Jonathon N Sangma, who had unsuccessfully contested the elections, accused the Minister of taking the help of the militants to influence the voters and thereby winning the polls.
"We had gathered enough evidence to prove that the accused had used underground elements to intimidate voters of independent candidate Jonathon Sangma on the eve of the 2013 state Assembly elections," the SP said.
The Minister was charged under relevant sections of IPC in the court of F S Sangma, he said.
According to the charge sheet, a deal was struck and GNLA had intimidated voters in return for Marak's promised support to the cause of the outfit for a separate state.
