Meghalaya
II. Human rights violations by the security forces
III. Violations of International Humanitarian Law by the AOGs
V. Violations of the prisoners’ rights
I. Overview
Governed by the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance, Meghalaya
continued to witness human rights violations both by the security forces and
Armed Opposition Groups (AOGs). The NHRC
received one allegation of death in police custody and one allegation of death
in judicial custody in Meghalaya during the period of 1 April 2006 to 31 March
2007.
On 19 April 2007, Inquiry reports into two police shooting
incidents in Tura and Williannagar in which 10 persons were killed in 2006 were
tabled in the State Assembly of Meghalaya. On the Tura incident, Justice
D N Chaudhuri criticised the administration and police for use of ‘excess’
force leading to the death of four innocent people in Tura.
However, Justice (retd) DN
Baruah, who examined the Williamnagar incident where five people were killed
and scores injured, felt that the measures taken by the administration were
“just and adequate” and the force used by the police was appropriate and not
excessive. Terming the report of Justice (retd) DN Baruah Commission on the
incident as biased and unacceptable, a fresh inquiry was demanded by the civil
society organisations.
According to police estimates, a total
of 2,187 incidents of crime were recorded during 2007 in the State. These
included 114 cases of murder, 77 cases of rape, 3 cases of dowry death, 50
cases of kidnapping and abduction, among others.
The Meghalaya Police recorded 76 cases
of rape, 45 cases of molestation, 20 cases of kidnapping and abduction of girls
and women, among others, in 2007; while the NCRB had recorded 176 incidents of
crime against women during 2006. The security personnel were themselves
responsible for many cases of rape in 2007.
With regard to
administration of justice, there were 4 vacancies and a total of 10,795 cases
were pending with the District and Subordinate Courts of Meghalaya as on 30
September 2007.
II. Human rights violations by the
security forces
Asian Centre for Human Rights documented a number of custodial killings
and alleged extrajudicial executions in 2007.
On
29 November 2007, Luding Sangma (30) died in the police lock-up of Shahlang Police
Out Post in West Khasi Hills district.
On
the morning of 22 August 2007, Peter
Marak, commander-in-chief of AOG Liberation of Achik Elite Force (LAEF)
was allegedly extrajudicially executed by the police at Kalak in East Garo
Hills district.
According
to the police, Mr Marak had confessed that at least ten cadres of the AOGs were hiding in the jungle near Kalak village.
Marak was taken there by the police. While approaching the location, members of
LAEF open fire on the police. The police retaliated. Mr Marak was injured by
weapons fired by the members of LAEF during the crossfire and died later. No
police personnel suffered any injuries in the alleged crossfire.
The security forces also resorted to
use of disproportionate force while controlling protests
On 15 December 2007, one Md. Shah Alam
was killed when personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) opened fire on
villagers and businessmen who were taking cattle from Tikrikilla to Garobadha
under Tura Police Station in the West Garo Hills district. The BSF personnel
opened fired to disperse the crowd after they resisted the attempt of the BSF
to seize the cattle.
In December 2007, a woman identified
as S. Wanniang and five others suffered serious injuries after a cane-charge by
the Central Reserve Police Forces during an eviction drive at Motphran Wanniang
in Shillong.
III. Violations of International
Humanitarian Law by the AOGs
The AOGs were responsible for violations of
international humanitarian law.
On the night of 22 June 2007, one
person was killed and 13 others injured in serial grenade attacks carried out
by alleged members of Liberation of Achik Elite Force in three district of Garo
Hills.
On 2 December 2007, Shri Tonanth
Sangma was killed following abduction by four suspected cadres allegedly of
A’chik National Liberation Front Army at Dagal Simram village in East Garo
Hills district.
IV. Violence against women
Despite Meghalaya having matrilineal
societies, violence against women were extensively reported. Majority of the
victims were minors. The Meghalaya Police recorded 76 cases of rape, 45 cases
of molestation, 20 cases of kidnapping and abduction of girls and women, among
others, in 2007. The NCRB had recorded 176 incidents of crime against women
during 2006.
The security personnel were themselves
responsible for sexual violence.
On 16 April 2007, Ramkrishna Dey,
Border Security Force (BSF) personnel of BSF Camp at Danakgre in Tura, outraged
the modesty of Smt. Veronica B. Marak at her house at 8th Mile in
Danakgre in Tura. The accused was arrested.
On 3 July 2007, Smt. Keriyas Marak was
raped by Constable Ramu D. Sangma of 3rd Meghalaya Police Battalion (3rd MLPBn)
in her quarter at Jowai Police Station Complex in Jhantia Hills district.
On 26 July 2007, a member of the
military identified as Malsawm Tluanga was arrested by the police on charges of
repeated rape of a girl on 9 July 2007 in a hotel at Police Bazaar in Shillong.
On November 2007, a nine-years-old
girl (name withheld) was raped by Donbor Syngkli, a Constable of 3rd Meghalaya
Police Battalion (MLP Bn) at Mihmyntdu village in Jhantia Hills district.
V. Violations
of the prisoners’ rights
Overcrowding of jails continued to be
a problem in Meghalaya. In the Shillong jail 291 prisoners were lodged as
against its sanctioned capacity of 150 as of March 2007. Of these, 282 were
male and nine were female inmates. Most of the inmates were under trials. Out
of the total, 230 male and seven female were under trial prisoners while the
number of convicts in the jail was 40 male and seven female.
Prisoners
were ill treated and denied medical facilities. On 24 April 2007, former JACC
chairman, Mr Shanpru, who was lodged at Tura district jail, was allegedly
denied treatment while he was suffering seriously from dysentery despite
doctors at Tura Civil Hospital advising the jail authorities to admit him to a
hospital.
1.
Lapang tables twin police firing inquiry reports in
Assembly, The Sentinel, 20 April 2007
2.
NCP, GSU demand fresh probe into W’nagar firing, The Shillong Times, 21 April 2007
3.
Meghalya Police, Daily
Crime Update, Archives, available at: http://meghpol.nic.in/
4.
Meghalya Police, Daily
Crime Update, Archives, available at: http://meghpol.nic.in/
5.
Supreme
Court of India, Court News- October – December 2007, available at: http://supremecourtofindia.nic.in/CtNewsOct_Dec07.pdf
6.
One dies in
police lock-up, The Shillong Times, 1 December 2007
7.
ACHR’s
complaint to NHRC, Ref. No: ML/03/2007
8.
Meghalya Police, Daily
Crime Update, Archives, available at: http://meghpol.nic.in/
9.
CRPF open to
probe into Shillong clash, The Telegraph, 13 December
2007
10.
Garo militant
outfit claims responsibility for serial blasts, The Assam Tribune, 24 June 2007
11.
Meghalya Police, Daily
Crime Update, Archives, available at: http://meghpol.nic.in/
12.
Meghalya Police, Daily
Crime Update, Archives, available at: http://meghpol.nic.in/
13.
Meghalya Police, Daily
Crime Update, Archives, available at: http://meghpol.nic.in/
14.
Meghalya Police, Daily
Crime Update, Archives, available at: http://meghpol.nic.in/
15.
Army man held
on rape charge, The Shillong Times, 7 August 2007
16.
Meghalya Police, Daily
Crime Update, Archives, available at: http://meghpol.nic.in/
17.
Govt to file
affidavit on State prisoners, Home Secy summoned, The Shillong Times, 29 March 2007
18.
Shanpru to move NHRC,
The Shillong Times, 25 May 2007