Shillong, Aug 13: BJP leader and former Health Minister, AL Hek has strongly opposed the killing of surrendered HNLC militant Cherishterfield Thangkhiew, who was killed in an early morning police encounter on Friday at his house in Mawlai Kynton Massar in Shillong, calling it ‘inhuman’.
Hek has been one of the ministers who was spearheading and trying to initiate peace talks between the banned militant outfit and the Central Government.
Hek also questioned how it was retaliatory when a person is sleeping in the middle of the night with his family.
“Cherishterfield was no longer a militant; he had surrendered and was living a normal life as a normal citizen. If there were illegal or any criminal activities done by him, it was the duty of the government and the police department to arrest and take the person for a thorough investigation. Saying that it was a retaliatory shot and killing him doesn’t sound right and I feel that violence cannot end with violence,” Hek opined.
The BJP MLA has also demanded a Judicial inquiry so that truth will prevail.
In his opinion on the incident being a fake encounter, Hek said he doesn’t know what happened during the raid. But his only objection was how the encounter was carried out in the middle of the night when the person was with his family asleep.
