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HC notice to State on Lampi firing

By Correspondent - 15 Sep 2010 12:00 AM GMT

SHILLONG, May 25 � A division bench of the Gauhati High Court today served notice to the Assam Government, givings it four week�s time to file its reply on the Lampi firing incident in which four persons died and several others were injured.

Based on a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Meghalaya People�s Human Rights Council (MPHRC), a two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, Ramesh Surajmal Garg and Justice BD Agarwal served the notice to the Assam Government.

�The Shillong bench of the Gauhati High Court has served notice to the State of Assam represented by the Commissioner and Secretary (Home) based on our petition. The division bench has given four weeks� time to the respondent to file reply on the issues raised in our petition,� Dino Dympep, MPHRC secretary general said at a press meet today.

Assam�s Director General of Police and Superintendent of Police (Kamrup) were also served similar notices, he added.

The petition sought the court�s intervention for protection of the lives and livelihood of the people residing in the disputed village. Seeking a CBI inquiry into the May 14 firing incident, the petition demanded that Assam Police personnel responsible for the firing must be placed under suspension pending the inquiry.

The petitioner argued before the bench that Assam Police fired �indiscriminately 188 rounds without any provocation on a group of unarmed people� on May 14 in Lampi killing four people and injuring others.

The Assam Police, MPHRC said, being a disciplined force, resorted to �illegal action� and it was therefore �unpardonable.�

�The erring officials ought to be handed exemplary punishment in order to restore the faith of the common man in the Rule of Law,� the petition said.

Lampi, the petition further said, falls under Meghalaya�s West Khasi Hills district under Nongmynsaw Syiemship (kingdom) and available historical documents prove that. However, due to claim over the area by Assam and subsequent neglect of the area, basic amenities are unavailable leading to hardship for the local residents of the area.