Second custodial death in Meghalaya in eight days

Shillong, May 28 (IANS) A man arrested allegedly for supplying explosives to the outlawed Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) was Wednesday found dead in a police lock-up in Meghalaya's South Garo Hills district, police said. This was the second custodial death in eight days.

While police termed the death Wednesday as due to hypertension, local residents alleged "police excesses".

"Witson Sangma, arrested for supplying IED materials to the GNLA, died in the lock-up of Chokpot police station died due to hypertension," Inspector General of Police, Operations, G.H.P.Raju told IANS.

Sangma was arrested Tuesday from Wariwa Duragre village based on intelligence inputs, the police official said.

"Soon after his arrest, the accused was taken to a health centre at Chokpot for medical examination. The accused was found to be suffering from hypertension. The local police were also advised to bring the accused again the next morning (Wednesday) for another round of medical examination but this morning, the accused was found dead," Raju said.

He denied that Sangma died to police excesses as alleged by the general public who gheroad the Chokpot police station and prevented medical officials from conducting the post mortem.

The incident comes eight days after a prisoner was found dead at government hospital in Tura in West Garo Hills district.

Marak, 20, one of the 10 accused of illegal confinement, kidnapping and torture of 12 women, including a pregnant woman, died at the Tura Civil Hospital Tuesday last week.

Arrested May 13, Marak was sent to 14 days' judicial custody. Family members of the dead man asked the government to recommend a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the matter.

Several pressure groups led by the powerful Garo Student's Union served a seven day ultimatum, expiring Friday, to Chief Minister Mukul Sangma to institute a judicial probe into Marek's death.

"If the government does not comply to our demand within Friday. We have no other option but to agitate to mount pressure on the government to act on our demand," GSU leader Tengsak Momin said.