Judicial probe report into HNLC founder’s killing submitted

Shillong, May 20 (PTI) Justice (Rtd) T Vaiphei on Friday submitted a judicial inquiry report on the killing of a founding member of the proscribed HNLC, Chesterfield Thangkhiew in a reported encounter with the police at his home here, officials said.

Vaiphei submitted a voluminous and exhaustive report to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma at his office chamber here, they said.

I have just submitted the judicial inquiry report to Chief Minister Sangma, Vaiphei told PTI.

Details of the report are yet to be known.

The state government had appointed Vaipehi to conduct the judicial probe in August last year after Thangkhiew, also a former general secretary of the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council was shot dead by the police in the reported encounter at his home in Mawlai locality here in the early hours of August 13 2021.

The militant leader was accused of waging war against the state by planning and executing in a series of IED blasts across the state ahead of the Independence Day, including the one which took place on August 10 behind a busy Laitumkhrah market causing minor injuries to two persons and minor damages to nearby buildings.

Justice (retired) Vaiphei had started conducting hearings since December last year and family members of the killed militant leader besides several senior police officers deposed before him.