Amid mounting concerns over the law and order situation in Meghalaya, Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has raised serious allegations of political interference affecting police functioning. He emphasised that even a competent police force cannot deliver results without operational freedom. Speaking to mediapersons in Shillong, he pointed out that police efficiency must be consistently demonstrated across all cases and not only under media pressure or public scrutiny. He underlined the need for authorities to treat every crime incident with seriousness, accountability, and a sense of urgency.
Speaking to media persons in Shillong, Dr Sangma said, “The efficiency of our police organisation, which has been demonstrated in this instant case, is required to be demonstrated in every case, we should take every incidence of crime with utmost sense of seriousness. Not only when the whole media put pressure, not only, when the whole instance of such crime is brought to the notices of everybody, that is the only time when we should demonstrate efficiency and competency, and responsibility. I think efficiency and competency and the sense of responsibility of police organisation has been there as I’ve said we have built strong, resilient competition, efficient and responsible Police organisation I have taken pride of this.”
“I will only expect that police organisation should be completely free from political interference. Police organisation should be allowed to demonstrate their efficiency, like they have done in the instant case. In all cases, whether it is while going after the illegal coal mines or illegal mines, whether it is a while going after against those, perpetrators of crime, who are committing crime against Children, Women, so many instances of crime. And also when they are going after the cartel who are instrumental in enabling the circulations of drugs, to trap our youth, to become victims of substance abuse. You have seen the statement of the minister incharge of Social Welfare, what is the number of the youth who are victims of? Is it not alarming? Has any case been cracked till now? It may be study but it will not be mysterious more mysterious than the instant case of this heinous crime that has been committed by this visitors.”
“I have every reason to now see that this particular case pertaining to these gruesome murder of our visitor by the visitors themselves as per the leads and information that is made available to all of us by the police investigation and chart sitting must be expeditiously completed. So that if proven guilty, the law will take its is on course and it will become a strong deference for any such similar criminal-minded people to look at Meghalaya as a destination to commit crime.”
“In the meeting which were convened by Ministry of Home Affairs, you know that the Government of India used to have internal security meetings involving all the states, which used to be attended by the Chief Ministers, Home Ministers and all the senior most officers of the State, we represent the state and we shared and we participate in various, challenges that confront us from the law and order perspective, from the geopolitical angle and from all angles, I have placed on record a number of times in that internal security meeting taking pride in our police organisation in efficiency competency and responsibility with which our police organisation in the state has demonstrated competence and in fact, I have gone to the extent of saying that all that we have done must be also examined study by the MHA and see how the same thing can be replicated as well by other states. So therefore it is only appropriate for all of us to congratulate the police organisation, the state police organisation, for whatever they have been able to do and demonstrate and prove their efficiency competency and responsibility today. Yes. But with the rider, now I will come back with number of questions. If I have claimed earlier also that we have taken pride in the efficiency competency, the quantum of responsibility with which are police organisation demonstrated their competence and commitment, and dedication to fulfil their vested responsibilities. Now therefore unless police is free from political interference, they will not be demonstrated their efficiency and competency, this is precisely why I have said, why police are not being able to similarly, go after illegal minings, when I say legal mining is not confined to only coal, it goes beyond coal, whether it is a limestone or the illegal and uncontrolled illegal mining of stones and boulders, you go to Assam and Meghalaya borders, see what is happening.”
“So these are issues and at the same time, now, let us come back to what I have said earlier. I have talked about how important it is to understand, the manner in which crimes are being committed in this present era, how people are hyperactive in social media phases, social media platforms and at the same time how social media can also be weaponried to commit crimes, whether it is committing petty crime or heinous crime. Therefore you never know who is following whom, that means people from outside can follow their target and commit crime in Meghalaya. Now, how do you ensure that these tendency that Meghalaya is being looked at as a place where they can commit crime and get away, I think that is the reason why they choose Meghalaya. If people who have committed this henious crime, have looked at Meghalaya as a destination to commit this crime, that means they have done their exhaustive due deligence as to how to commit a crime.”
“Therefore, a strong deterrence must be put in place and that is, what is available with the government in terms of the requirement as mandated by the law Meghalaya Residence Safety and Security Act. The Act required the government to ensure that we install CCTVs all along the national, highways all along the state, highways all along the neighbourhoods, all along the cities and cover all those identified vulnerable areas, the areas which are considered really prone for any criminal activities. Therefore it is important for us while we appreciate and put on record our deep sense of appreciation to our police organisation, as I have mentioned earlier, we have a strong efficient, competent and responsible police organisation and this must be effectively utilised and there should be no political interference because if I go by, what is happening in the present in years, whether it is in the matter of dealing with other law and order issues, or whether it is dealing with on time in the condition of investigation and chartsheeting pertaining to various crimes, for which FIRs have been lodge in different police stations.”
“That means efficiency competency notwithstanding, police will have to be allowed to perform and demonstrate this efficiency in competency. Is it happening in respect of all other pertaining cases which are registered in the police stations? Therefore, it has become necessary for the public to put that kind of question before the police before, the government is government interfering with the efficient functioning of the police organisation. There is another big question which has to come in cases of all the cases which are registered in the police station. The information is available in the assembly pertaining to the reply to my Unstart question.”
