Mizoram opposition parties seek justice for dead priest

Aizawl, Dec 9 (UNI) Two Opposition parties - the Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committee and Mizoram People's Conference - have reaffirmed their intention to stage a silent procession tomorrow to ''seek justice for Reverend Chanchinmawia'' even as the special investigation team submitted its final report to the court.

Party spokespersons said here today that the main objective of the silent procession was to seek justice for the pastor, who, the parties as well as the Mizoram Presbyterian Church Synod, alleged, could not have committed suicide.

However, the investigation team had found no evidence to support the homicide theory.

''Besides the fact that Rev Chanchinmawia was a devout Christian who would totally disapprove suicide, the multiple wounds his dead body bore do not support the suicide theory,'' they said.

Moreover, they alleged that he had received a number of life threats owing to his role as the Mizoram People's Forum president to bring about ''clean and fair elections in the state.'' The pastor was found dead under mysterious circumstances in his Khatla Presbyterian pastor quarters on October 1.

The opposition parties also alleged that if the CBI had investigated the case, the real circumstances leading to his death would have been revealed.

The two parties also dismissed allegations that they were politicising the death of the pastor and justified their intervention in the case.

The two parties claimed that they were organising the rally to ensure ''clean and fair Assembly elections without the involvement of underground organisations, which was the main objective of the MPF led by Rev Chanchinmawia.'' The 20-page final report was submitted to Justice Chawngtintluanga's court here on December 7, along with the two knives found near the pastor's body, his clothes, the autopsy report, the Christian Medical College's medical reports (on the pastor's depression) and statements of more than 30 witnesses.

While the report reiterated that no evidence in support of the homicide theory was found, the police officials, however, said if any evidence pointing to a homicide surfaced, the team would be ready to renew the investigation.

UNI