Army Mistakenly Kills Two Civilians in Meghalaya, FIR Filed

November 27: The families of two civilians shot dead by army personnel in
Rajasimla area on Wednesday night have filed FIRs with North Garo Hills
Police seeking action against the perpetrators of the cold blooded
murder of their loved ones.

Rajasimla school teacher Alphius M
Momin (35) and Sweetbirth D Marak (30), a vendor who sold P form
challans at Dainadubi check gate, were travelling on a motorcycle at
around 8:40 in the night when they were shot dead by army personnel who
were out on patrol in the area.

The incident took place near
Konchikol, 2 km from Kharkutta Bazar, where the army personnel from the
Gurkha Regiment, deployed at Rangjuli town in neighbouring Assam, had
reportedly been conducting an operation inside North Garo Hills to flush
out suspected Garo militants.

According to the version given to
the district police by the army, they allege that the motorcyclist did
not heed warnings to stop and tried to drive through forcing the
personnel to open fire. The army also claims that the two-wheeler did
not sport a number plate and had ‘faulty’ headlights when it was ordered
to halt.

Anger is brewing in the region following the incident
and more so because the army allegedly abandoned the bodies at the side
of the road after the shooting. The Kharkutta police outpost personnel
were reportedly informed about the incident by the public. Although the
army is authorized to operate within 20 km inside Meghalaya territory
for counter-insurgency operations, yet it is mandatory to inform the
local police and take a local policeman as a guide.

In the case of Wednesday’s killing, neither was the police informed nor did the army take along a police guide in its operation.

Local MLA of Kharkutta and Parliamentary Secretary Cherak W Momin has
expressed his anger against the army targeting innocent civilians inside
Garo Hills. After a visit to the site he demanded a magisterial enquiry
and pointed out that neither the district SP nor any senior police
officer was informed about the operation by the army.

North Garo
Hills Deputy Commissioner, Sibhi C Sadhu said a magisterial probe would
be initiated as soon as he receives the police report and the inquest
from the magistrate on the killings. This is the second case of the army
shooting unarmed civilians in a case of mistaken identity in the
Kharkutta region, this year.

On March 17, two daily wagers – Selba
Sangma and Jekke Arengh – were shot dead while returning from a bird
hunting trip at Darang Petchong village of Kharkutta by army personnel
from the Dogra Regiment. After realizing their mistake, the army
personnel planted two country made pistols by the side of the bodies to
make it look like an encounter.

However, two other members of the
hunting group, Dilnath Momin and Robin Momin, who were taken into
custody by the army, later, revealed the actual events to the police
forcing the government to order a probe. As the people of Garo Hills
continue to join the public protest to oppose the Armed Forces Special
Powers Act (AFSPA), and the central government in New Delhi endorsing
the public mood by deciding to file a special leave petition (SLP) in
the Supreme Court to ensure there is no AFSPA in the Garo Hills,
Wednesday night’s killing has given further weight to the public
resentment.

Army Orders Probe: The Army has ordered a detailed
investigation into the incident of killing of two civilians including a
teacher at Kharkutta in a case of mistaken identity on Wednesday night.
However, police have taken exception to the Army operations as they had
not informed the police personnel about the operations which was
mandatory unless it is was a hot pursuit.

In a statement issued to
the media on Thursday, the Public Relations Officer (Defence),
Guwahati, Lt. Col. Suneet Newton said on specific information from a
source, about the movement of two GNLA terrorists on motorcycle, on road
Kharkutta to Khilor, Army troops established a mobile vehicle check
post at approximately 8:30 pm on November 25. Thereafter, they started
checking the motorcycles passing by.

According to the Army
statement, two motorcycles, both having two persons each aged between
20-25 years, were signalled to stop. Both the motorcycles stopped and
were checked in detail. They were allowed to go as nothing suspicious
was found.

“At around 8:40 pm, a third group of motorcyclists,
when signalled to stop, abnormally accelerated their bike and tried to
escape. Due to the huge back blast and flash which came out of the
silencer and due to the prevailing pitch darkness, it seemed that the
motorcyclists had opened fire. The troops, also opened fire in self
defense, due to which the motorcyclists were hit and died on the spot,”
the statement added.

According to the Army spokesperson, the
incident primarily occurred due to non-adherence of existing security
instructions by the concerned motorcycle borne civilians. A senior
police official said that the incident was due to a mistaken identity on
the part of the Army.

The Army which can operate 20 km in the
border came to Kharkutta, but they had not informed the local police
which was mandatory, the police official said, adding, there was no hot
pursuit as far as the particular case is concerned. “We have registered a
case in this regard and the Army has admitted that it was a case of
mistaken identity,” the police official added.

In addition to the
FIR field by the relatives, initial complaint lodged by the police was
updated after it was revealed that the civilians were killed due to
mistaken identity. Besides, a magisterial inquiry was also ordered into
the incident, police added.

-the Shillong Times