Cherishterfield Thangkhiew a former HNLC leader was shot dead: Family claiming it as fake encounter
Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) R Chandranathan claimed that the police had incontrovertible evidence linking former HNLC leader Cherishterfield Thangkhiew’s involvement with the recent blasts in the state, family members have denied his involvement in the incidents and alleged that he was killed in a ‘fake encounter’.
Cherishterfield Thangkhiew’s brother G Thangkhiew alleged that the encounter was pre-planned and that the police just wanted to eliminate him.
“I will not tolerate this. The people at the helm of affairs have misused their powers on people like us who don’t have any power. My brother was very ill, he was always at home. He couldn’t even walk up the stairs and his legs were swollen since he had kidney problems and other health issues. If they wanted to interrogate him they should have come and question him during the day and not during the middle of the night. I don’t agree that they found any evidence and they had framed it,” said G Thangkhiew.
On Friday, the DGP called a press conference at the police headquarters in Shillong and briefed the media about the events of the raid. He informed that the former general secretary of the banned outfit was involved in the recent IED bomb blast at Laitumkhrah market in Shillong, which left two people injured. The DGP mentioned that Cherishterfield was also wanted in the earlier IED blast in Khliehriat, East Jaintia Hills.
He further said that during the raid, on entering the house, he [Cherishterfield Thangkhiew] wielded a knife and attacked one of the police personnel who fired a retaliatory shot and injured him. Later, he was taken to the Civil Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, the DGP added.
“Two of his associates were taken into custody for interrogation and the police seized a firearm, digital documents, and other incriminating materials,” he said.
However, the statement given by the DGP did not seem to match with what the sons had narrated. The two sons, Grainy FG Diengdoh and Olifin G Diengdoh claimed that they were in the same room during the raid.
One if his son, Grainy FG Diengdoh with a swollen lip and a bruised body said that this was a fake encounter. Narrating the incident, Diengdoh said that around 3 am, the police forcefully broke into their house, and the next thing he heard was a gunshot.
“After they barged in without knocking, they threw me and my brother down on the ground, kicked and beat us, and covered our faces with blankets. The only next thing I saw was my father lying dead on the ground and I think he was still breathing. His body was lying on the ground for almost an hour after he was shot. They did not rush him to the hospital at all,” said Diengdoh.
Even if he was involved in the blasts, they could have arrested him during the day but, shockingly, they chose to raid at night, said Diengdoh.
However, the encounter was also condemned by the various pressure groups of the state.
