Shillong: Five policemen have been arrested for harassing a family at North Garo Hills in Meghalaya. The policemen even stripped a woman girlfriend.
The incident took place around 1:30 am on July 28 at Dekachang in Resubelpara.
The arrest occurred next day. The policemen were released on bail immediately. However, they were arrested again on July 31.
The policemen were allegedly drunk and had barged into the victim’s residence and assaulted all the elderly members. The policemen had even broken a beer bottle on the head of a victim.
An FIR against the attackers was filed on August 1 at Resubelpara police station.
“We have arrested all the accused policemen and investigating the matter”, said Dalton Marak, superintendent of police.
Locals said that three cops were involved in brutal assault on the victim identified as Tezeng Marak, his girlfriend and his younger sister, reported North East Today.
“They entered my room and kicked me and my girlfriend and began to beat me mercilessly. They even hit us with knives. They pointed their revolver at me and threatened to shoot me,” Marak said in his FIR.
During the incident there was huge commotion and people from the neighborhood arrived at the scene. “They had planned to murder us and cut our bodies to pieces. They even hit my sister and damaged my property. Worse thing was that they stripped my girlfriend and took videos threatening to post them on social media,” said the FIR.
The victim said that the policemen had made off with 38,000 rupees in cash and his wallet with the ATM card.
The five police persons involved in the incident were immediately arrested after the incident though they were let off on a bail bond the same evening despite the grievousness of the crime.
The five personnel were arrested again after the clan members submitted a supplementary FIR in the case as the victim and his girlfriend’s injuries have forced Tezeng to go to Guwahati for treatment while his girlfriend is still recuperating in Goalpara.
Interestingly, the medical report of the victims stated that they only received minor injuries whereas the victim who was hit on the head with a beer bottle (the sister) was not even given medical care.
Social activist Jaynie N Sangma, who reached the place on August 1 after receiving complaints of police inaction, said that the entire incident was shocking.
“How can they be let off even after committing such serious crimes? This is sending a very wrong message to the people and the people behind letting them off need to be questioned”.
The accused personnel were rearrested today after the supplementary FIR with a highly placed police source stating that their uncooperative attitude led to the bail being cancelled – something that should have not been given in the first place.
The arrested police personnel have been identified as Salchi K Sangma, Tesri K Sangma, Shembordeny Kreger., Jingjang K Sangma and Teidiam M Marak.