SHILLONG:
A division bench of the Meghalaya High Court, on May 31, took up the case pertaining to the mysterious death of police officer PJ Marbaniang in Ri-Bhoi district, a day after he had seized 32 illegal coal-laden trucks.
The Supreme Court on May 8, 2023, has set aside the order of the Meghalaya High Court of March 22, 2016, which had disposed of the petition (for the CBI probe) on the ground that the special investigation team (SIT) had already filed the chargesheet.
The Supreme Court on May 8 sent back a petition filed by the mother of the victim to the High Court of Meghalaya for re-examination of the case.
The mother was unhappy with the SIT probe and dismissing the suicide theory of the police, the mother of the deceased police officer had filed a petition in the Supreme Court for a CBI probe.
During the hearing before the division bench of the Meghalaya High Court on Wednesday it was submitted on behalf of the erstwhile petitioner, the mother of the deceased police officer who suffered an unnatural death, has died.
“Counsel will take instructions as to whether there is anyone interested in pursuing the petition,” the division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W. Diengdoh said.
On behalf of the State, it was submitted before the High Court that the criminal trial is proceeding in right earnest before the Sessions Judge, Shillong and that more than 10 witnesses have been examined.
“The matter will appear a fortnight hence and even if no one else is interested in pursuing the petition, in view of the circumstances in which the petition was filed, the Court may look into the papers and make appropriate orders in accordance with law on its own motion,” the High Court said.
The next hearing on the case will be on June 16, 2023.
On the night of January 25, 2015, Marbaniang, the then officer in-charge of Patharkhmah police outpost, was found lying in a pool of blood in his quarter.
Police claimed that the officer had died after shooting himself in the head with his service pistol.
A day earlier, Marbaniang had detained 32 illegal coal-laden trucks and had resisted the release of the trucks despite being under pressure.
The seizure was significant since the NGT had banned illegal coal mining and transportation of coal in Meghalaya in April, 2014.