SHILLONG: 4 May 2023 (PTI Source)
The Meghalaya High Court has ordered an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the 2015 Oragitok encounter, which occurred on March 4, 2015.
The police had received information that militants from the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) had sought shelter in the Romba Adinggre LP School compound in the village of Oragitok.
The police report reveals that during the Oragitok encounter, the police called out to the militants to surrender, but the militants opened fire. In the crossfire, Sengbath Ch Marak, the son of the Nokma (leader) of Oragitok, was shot and killed. The police claimed that Sengbath was a member of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), and after the encounter, they recovered a locally-made pistol and other documents that incriminated him.
After the encounter, the villagers of Oragitok reported that Sengbath Ch Marak was killed for no reason and that the entire incident was staged. In response to a petition filed by Sengbath's father seeking an independent investigation into the matter, the Meghalaya High Court has ordered the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter.
The court observed that the circumstances of the case raised doubts about the police's version of events and ordered the CBI to investigate the matter.