Meghalaya: NCP gives govt 2-mnth's for CBI probe

Shillong, May 24: The Nationalist Congress Party has threatened to take legal action if the Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government failed to order a CBI probe into the September 30, 2005 police firing at Tura and Williamnagar within two months.

Official sources here today said a high-level delegation of the NCP from state's Garo Hills met Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil at his official residence at New Delhi yesterday, demanding a fresh inquiry by the CBI into the incidents.

Nine people, including women, were killed while scores injured in the twin police firing at Tura and Williamnagar over the issue of revamping and restructuring the Meghalaya Board of School Education, which has its headquarters at Tura, West Garo Hills district.

''We want a CBI probe into the firing incident to ensure that the kin of the victims get justice and the perpetrators do not go scot-free,'' former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma said.

Mr Sangma said the Union Home Minister has given a patient and sympathetic hearing and assured that justice would be done.

The NCP leader said ''Mr Patil had informed the delegation that the state government must agree to a CBI inquiry and recommend the matter or there has to be a direction from the Court of Law.'' Mr Sangma said that the Union Minister would also seek the opinion of the state government and if it agrees, he would have no difficulty in referring the matter to the CBI for fresh investigation.

UNI