Magisterial inquiry to probe irregularities in Shillong

Shillong: The Meghalaya government today instituted a magisterial inquiry into the irregularities in the Shillong district jail where arrested Garo tribal militant chief Champion Sangma is lodged.

"An appropriate enquiry was instituted to go into few developments which took place over the last few days (in the administration of the district jail)," Chief Minister Mukul Sangma said.

The Shillong district jail which currently houses 230 inmates have been under media attention in the past few days after the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) chief Champion Sangma was allowed to mix with other inmates despite being kept in a high security compartment.

The Director General of Police in charge of Prisons Kulbir Kishen had last week sent a confidential report to the state government alleging involvement of the lawyer of the militant chief in bribing the jail officials besides financial irregularities involving officials and staff of the jail here.

The Chief Minister said a magistrate and an account official of the government will inquire into the issue and findings and would report to the government before it can take a final call on the issue.

The Shillong jail, the biggest jail in Meghalaya, was in the news three years back when an organized gang led by Fullmoon Dhar escaped the jail premises with the help of jail officials on duty on May 31, 2009.

An inquiry commission probing the 2009 jail break episode is yet to submit its findings to the government.