Tura, July 15: A senior Meghalaya police official, Gilbirth Marak was today sent on a 14 days judicial custody on molestation charge. Marak, an assistant commandant of 2nd Meghalaya Police Battalion posted at Goeragre in West Garo Hills was arrested on Sunday after a new lady recruit filed an FIR, alleging attempted molestation. In her FIR filed at the Tura police station on Saturday evening, shestated that Marak had called her to his residence, which is within the premises of the 2nd Battalion in Goeragre, about 12 km from Tura and attempted to outrage her modesty.
The incident took place when group of lady recruit constables under training in the battalion headquarters were engaged in menial work on Sunday morning when one of them was called by the assistant commandant to his official quarters.
Commandant of 2nd Meghalaya police battalion, Aditya Goenka said, “The new recruit came to report the matter to me and we suggested her to file an FIR to which she agreed. After the FIR was filed, Marak was arrested on the same day”.
He added that departmental proceedings have been initiated against Marak, who has been suspended. The accused is a promotee Assistant commandant, and is not a cadre of the Meghalaya Police Service (MPS). He was in his late 50s and was due for retirement.
“I have reported the matter to my higher ups in Shillong, who will take the call”, he added.
Tura police station has registered cases under section 354, criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty, section 376, no appeal in petty cases, and section 511, punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment.
Unconfirmed report says that Marak was intoxicated at the time of the incident. “An FIR was lodged against the officer by one of the woman recruit constables and we have accordingly taken action by arresting him. He has since been sent to jail on a 14 days judicial custody,” said West Garo Hills SP, Mukesh Singh.(SP News)
