Shillong, June 2: National People’s Party (NPP) has been caught in the eye of a storm following an allegation of rape on the party’s senior member and legislator from North Tura, Thomas A. Sangma, even as the party’s Meghalaya unit president has assured of an unhindered investigation into the accusation.
A woman on Tuesday filed a complaint with the Superintendent of Police, East Khasi Hills that Sangma had repeatedly raped her on the pretext of marriage at her home and at a hotel in Shillong.
Reacting to this sensational issue, NPP’s Meghalaya president and Rajya Sabha MP, WR Kharlukhi said Sangma can’t be termed guilty simply based on an allegation levelled against him and the law will take its own course.
“This is an allegation… let the investigation continue … we can’t condemn a person just because there is an allegation. We believe that investigation should be there and let the law decide its own course,” he said while speaking to a television channel on Wednesday.
At the same time, he assured that the State government, which is currently led by NPP, will not interfere in the investigation and let the law “prevail in whatever circumstances”.
Meanwhile, opposition Congress leader Dr. Mukul Sangma refused to make a comment on the issue while speaking to reporters in Shillong on Wednesday. He said let the law take its own course as far as this case is concerned.
“This is something personal to the concerned MLA and the law of the land should be trusted. We trust our judiciary system, we have a very robust judiciary system and therefore, we should have enough trust and confidence in our judiciary system,” he added.
Congress leader and East Shillong legislator, Ampareen Lyngdoh has written to the Speaker of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly asking for Sangma’s removal from all the House Committees until the police investigation and trial, if any, are over.
