The students’ union stressed the need to set up counselling units in all the three districts of Garo hills during a meeting with East Garo Hills deputy commissioner Pravin Bakshi and superintendent of police Sylvester Nongtynger.
The meeting was held after a public rally organised by the GSU at Williamnagar, the district headquarters of East Garo Hills.
The GSU took out the rally to protest against the fake encounter killing of an old villager, Washington Marak, and the arrest of four others, all residents of Rongekgre village in East Garo Hills, on Republic Day for being allegedly associated with the militant Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA).
After the rally, various NGOs and residents of East Garo Hills took out a procession in and around Williamnagar to protest against police atrocities.
They wore black badges and held placards and banners.
At the meeting with the officials, the GSU’s central body demanded the suspension of circle inspector T.C. Chacko, who was leading the police team during the encounter on January 26.
The president of the GSU’s central body, Tengsak G. Momin, reiterated while speaking to this correspondent over phone that the police should open counselling units to stop the violent activities of trigger-happy policemen like Chacko and help those posted in the three districts of Garo hills.
“Imagine if psychotic police personnel are entrusted with the task of maintaining law and order,” he said.
Momin said the stand taken by the NGOs and the people during the rally was that Chacko should be suspended before the expiry of the magisterial inquiry into the fake encounter case, which began on Monday.
“We do not want police officers to influence the magisterial inquiry,” he said.
In a separate memorandum submitted to East Garo Hills administration, the students’ union also demanded the deployment of more Garo police officers in the vulnerable areas since they were familiar with the place and understood the sentiments of the local people.
The GSU demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the family members of Marak and medical treatment to those injured in the police operation on January 26. It threatened to launch an agitation if the government failed to fulfil these demands.
The government had earlier fulfilled one of the demands of the NGOs from Williamnagar and released the four arrested villagers on January 27.
The East Garo Hills deputy commissioner said the rally and the procession passed off peacefully.