Gauhati HC orders CBI probe into murder of ex-DGP's maid

Shillong, July 19 (UNI) The Gauhati High Court has ordered a CBI probe into the murder of a maid in the residence of former Meghalaya Director General of Police William Richmond Marbaniang.

A division bench, comprising Justice B D Agarwal and A P Subba yesterday said the case should be handed over to the CBI for investigation since the murder occurred in the former police chief's residence.

The Court also directed the Centre to take an early decision in this regard so that further investigation could be carried on with required promptitude.

Yesterday's directive assumed significance in the backdrop of the Investigating Officer of the case informing the court that the former DGP Mr Marbaniang, now Director of Civil Defence and Home Guards, tried to ''influence the course of investigation''.

On March 23, the state government had asked the CBI to probe into the incident. Mr Marbaniang, who had to relinquish his post under a cloud, also suggested the government to refer the case to an independent agency.

The 26-year-old domestic maid working at the DGP's residence was allegedly found 'murdered' on March 7 in one of the rooms inside the high security compound of Mr Marbaniang.

Initially, the police claimed that the deceased had committed suicide and had not been murdered, raising more doubts, especially after the second autopsy report confirmed that it was a case of 'homicide' and not 'suicide'.

A local advocate A H Hazarika here, who filed a PIL pleading for CBI probe into the mysterious death, said,''police had created enough confusion in the mind of the general public and even tried best to cover up the case as a suicide.

However, on June 9, CID sleuths yielded a breakthrough with the arrest of constable Arwil Ch Sangma, who confessed that he had killed the maid after a verbal duel in the DGP's high security residential premises.

Constable Sangma, an orderly of Mr Marbaniang, even identified the weapon that he used to murder the maid, with whom he claimed to have an affair.

Welcoming the High Court's order, Mr Marbaniang today alleged that there were some people with vested interests, who are more concerned to victimise him and his family, even after the arrest of accused.

UNI