Shillong, June 29 : A criminal revision petition was filed in the High Court of Meghalaya on Tuesday against granting bail to the rape accused NPP legislator Thomas Sangma.
The petition was filed by the victim’s lawyer PT Sangma against the interim bail granted on June 8 and the subsequent absolute bail to the accused on June 10 by the additional district and sessions judge.
The ground for filing the petition before the high court is that at the time of granting bail, the investigation officer (IO) did not seek the custody of Sangma as the IO informed the court that the accused is ‘cooperating’ with the investigation.
Besides, the public prosecutor did not object granting of bail to the accused.
The city based woman had lodged an FIR on June 1 that the MLA had raped her multiple times and assured to marry her after she became pregnant.
The case was registered under IPC sections 376( rape) and 506 ( criminal intimidation).
Following this, the chairperson of the Assembly Committee for Empowerment of Women, Ampareen Lyngdoh had urged the Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh to remove the legislator from different Assembly committees.
Plea before DGP to change IO
The victim has petitioned the DGP to change the IO.
According to the letter, the IO never took custody of the accused, nor he was summoned for questioning. While the IO was investigating the matter, the statement of the victim was not taken fully under section 161 of criminal procedure, the letter said.
