SHILLONG, Nov 4 � The Meghalaya Police today have sought approval from Assembly Speaker to arrest Social Welfare Minister Deborah Ch Marak under non-bailable Sections of law for her alleged links with a terrorist organisation, following a chargesheet filed by the police.
�I have received a letter from the police informing about the allegations against Deborah. If police seeks her arrest, I will look into the merit of the case and decide accordingly,� Assembly Speaker Abu Taher Mondal informed.
Giving details about the letter to seek arrest of the minister, Director General of Police Peter Hanaman said, �We have informed the Speaker about the alleged involvement of the minister in the case. She (Marak) has already been examined by the police in the case. All cases registered against her are non-bailable.�
Apart from Deborah, who was a former Deputy Chief Minister of the State, the police are also seeking the arrest of Tennydard Marak, who has also been chargesheeted again for alleged links with the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA).
Hanaman said that the police are yet to examine Tennydard and if he doesn�t produce himself before the police, he would be declared as an absconder. Interestingly, Tennydard has filed a petition before the Supreme Court challenging Chief Minister Mukul Sangma�s ST status.
The matter of the Chief Minister�s ST status would come up for final hearing before the Supreme Court on November 7 and should the Apex Court uphold the petition of Tennydard, Sangma�s political career would be severely jeopardized.
Meanwhile, both Deborah and Tennydard have claimed innocence. The Social Welfare Minister said that she has �no links with the GNLA� as is being claimed by the police. �I have never sought any help from the GNLA. I will resign if the Chief Minister tells me to step down. Moreover, I am approaching the court on this matter,� Deborah said.
Tennydard on the other hand said the chargesheet against him was a �political ploy�. �Since I have filed a case against the Chief Minister on his ST status, so I am being targeted. GNLA is a terrorist organisation and I have no connection with them,� he said.
Both Deborah and Tennydard have been chargesheeted after a complaint was filed by an Independent candidate, Jonathan Jonathon N Sangma, in February last year after he lost the Assembly 2013 elections against Deborah from Williamnagar constituency in East Garo Hills. Jonathan claimed before the police that Deborah had used the GNLA and intimidated people to seek vote.
