Guwahati: A single person committee of inquiry has been set up in relation to the Tuesday incident involving the firing of Mukroh.
According to reports, the investigation will be headed by retired Gauhati High Court Judge Rumi Kumari Phukan.
Phukan came to Dongkamukam to look into the firing incident that happened a month ago in West Karbi Anglong.
Testimony was gathered from the police and forest departments as well as from a number of organisations at the Inspection Building of the Irrigation Department in Dongkamukam.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) learned of the November 22 shooting incident in Meghalaya’s Mukroh village last month.
The Union Home Secretary and the Chief Secretary of the Government of Assam have been requested by the NHRC to recommend ways to stop such instances in regions where there are border conflicts between neighbouring states.
In this context, they were requested to look into and recommend ways to stop such incidents from happening in the future, especially in regions where there are border issues. Two weeks were given by the NHRC for the response.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had asked the NHRC to look into the firing incident after it occurred.
The Commission has noted that it appears that this incident occurred as a result of the wider, long-standing border conflict between Assam and Meghalaya.
Prima facie, it would appear that such an incident would have been avoided had this dispute been resolved. Police must exercise restraint in these circumstances, regardless of the nature of the dispute between the States.
According to reports, the Assam Police and Assam Forest Guards pursued a truck transporting timber as a result of the incident. The truck was detained in Mukroh village by the forces. The villagers of Mukroh became agitated upon the entry of the Assam Police in their village. They surrounded the Assam Police and Assam Forest Guards consequent upon this firing took place.
The shooting incident resulted in the deaths of at least six people, one of them was an Assam forest guard.