NCP urges Meghalaya govt. to remove Justice Baruah

Shillong, Sep 5 (UNI) Meghalaya's main opposition party, the NCP has requested the Rymbai led government to de-notify the Justice (retd) D N Baruah enquiry commission, probing September 30 firing incident in Williamnagar.

The NCP demand to de-notify the Baruah commission was in the backdrop of Garo Hills based NGOs including the influential Garo Student's Union and senior NCP leader Purno A Sangma accused the commission of being ''biased'' while conducting the probe of last year's firing.

Five people, including a woman, died in the police-firing incident.

Late last evening, a three-member NCP delegation led by NCP legislator met state Home Minister Robert G Lyngdoh demanding the immediate removal of Justice Baruah and replace him with another one.

''We want the government to remove justice Baruah, as the people have doubted his neutrality in conducting the probe,'' NCP legislator Edmund K Sangma said.

However, the state government made it clear, that it can not denotify and replaced with a new Commission as the Commission was instituted as per the existing law.

''Once the commission is denotified, no more enquiry commission can be constituted for the same purpose,'' Home Minister Robert G Lyngdoh told reporters soon after meeting.

Refusing to comment on allegation against the Baruah Commission being ''biased'', Mr Lyngdoh refused to elaborate.

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