Jailbreak controversy rages; Pala denies involvement

Jailbreak controversy rages; Pala denies involvement

From our Staff Correspondent

SHILLONG, Jan 18: After implicating Union Minister of State for Water Resources Vincent Pala in the May-31 2009 Shillong jailbreak, Synsharlang Thongni and Khrawborlang Marbaniang, two re-arrested undertrial prisoners (UTPs), today added another dimension to the raging controversy over the sensational prison break, saying jail warders and UTPs had worn the Congress cap on jail premises in the run-up to the last general election in the State.

The duo of Thongni and Marbaniang also stuck to their statement that slain Fullmoon Dhar, the prime accused in the jailbreak, was killed by the police in a fake encounter.

Deposing before the judicial commission headed by T Biswas here, Thongni and Marbaniang, who were accomplices of Fullmoon, said Congress Party caps were brought inside the jail by the warders.

The deposition by Thongni and Marbaniang came a day after they claimed that Fullmoon used to speak with Vincent Pala, the Congress candidate from Shillong constituency for the last parliamentary poll. Pala even assured Fullmoon of help after his victory in the election.

While the statement made by Thongni and Marbaniang heightened the theory and suspicion about the involvement of the politician in the entire incident, the two UTPs reiterated that Fullmoon was killed by the police in a fake encounter.

Poonam Yadav, the advocate of the SCAMOD, a conglomerate of social organizations, said, “Both the UTPs reiterated before the inquiry commission that Fullmoon Dhar was caught alive, beaten up and shot by the police”.

Yadav said the two UTPs revealed that Fullmoon had around Rs 2.20 lakh at the time of his arrest and that he and his aides led a lavish life-style inside the jail premises under the patronage of the warders who were bribed.

The two accomplices of Fullmoon also said Fullmoon spent around Rs 2000 to Rs 3000 a day during his stay in the jail before the jailbreak that instantly caused a flutter in the State.

Meanwhile, Pala has refuted the allegation of his involvement in the Shillong jailbreak.

Referring to Pala’s name, Thongni and Marbaniang had yesterday said Fullmoon Dhar used to interact with the Congress candidate for the Shillong constituency in the last general election.

“I have never known, spoken, met or heard about any person by the name of Fullmoon Dhar,” Pala told The Sentinel over phone from New Delhi today.

“This allegation is baseless. It could be a ploy of some vested interests to tarnish my image”, said the Union Minister, adding, “My principle is clear and that is to avoid anyone with criminal records and intentions”.

“I know my own credentials and self-respect and any one who tries to drag my name into the whole controversy would have no substance to elucidate it (the allegation)”, the Shillong MP added. THE SENTINEL