SHILLONG, Aug 12 � Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) chief Champion R Sangma was remanded to another 15 days of police custody by a local Court here on Sunday.
First class judicial magistrate, I Rymbui remanded Sangma for the additional days as the police wanted his custody for further interrogation.
�We did not object to the Court�s extension for fifteen days� police custody since my client wanted to cooperate with the investigation,� Sangma�s legal counsel Sujit Dey said.
However, Sangma has pleaded before the Court to let him read newspapers and allow him to watch news channels or a radio be provided. The same was filed as a petition before the Court today.
Sangma has again demanded that his legal counsel be present during his interrogation by the State and Central intelligence agencies and the State police.
On August 6, Sangma wrote a letter to the State police seeking his legal counsel�s presence during his interrogation.
Dey informed the Court that the police department was yet to inform the arrested rebel leader whether his application was accepted or rejected.
Sangma�s counsel further handed over a two-page written argument to the judge informing that interrogators have violated the Supreme Court guidelines, with regards to his client, as laid down in DK Basu versus the State of West Bengal by not disclosing their identity during interrogation.
Wanted in several cases of killing, extortion and kidnapping, Sangma, did not show any signs of remorse and remained calm during the entire 45-minute proceedings.
His brother Brilliant Sangma was also present in the Court room during the deliberations. Sangma was arrested on July 30 near the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya and was remanded to 14 days in police custody. Sangma is currently booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for waging war against the Indian State and under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
