ASSAM TRIBUNE CORRESPONDENT
AIZAWL, Feb 18: National
Human Rights Commission has
admitted a petition that sought
probe into the alleged assault on
a truck driver by Mizoram Chief
Minister’s guards.
People’s Representatives
for Identity & Status of Mizoram,
a new-born political party,
on February 14 filed the
petition seeking an independent
investigation in the incident
to book the culprits and compensate
the injured person.
PRISM president Vanlalruata
said NHRC has admitted
the petition under case file no.
18768 for investigation.
On the night of January 22,
Lalbiakzuala, 34, who was driving
a timber-laden truck, was
assaulted by CM Lal Thanhawla’s
security guards for allegedly
refusing to give way for the CM’s
convoy on National Highway 54.
Vanlalruata, said the Chief
Minister and Home Minister
R Lalzirliana had admitted that
Lalbiakzuala was assaulted by
the security guards.
Accompanied by two
MLAs, the CM that night was
returning with his security
guards from Mizoram-Assam
border town of Kolasib to Aizawl
along the Highway. On the
narrow road with uphill gradient
near Serkhan village, they
caught up with a Tata 207 truck
fully loaded with timber. After
following it for a distance of
around 500 metres, truck driver
Lalbiakzuala, a resident of
Sihphir village, gave way near
Serkhan to the CM’s convoy
around 10.30pm. Some vehicles
in the convoy stopped near
the truck and around 10
armed security guards forcefully
pulled down the victim
and brutally assaulted him with
fists and rifle butts, rendering
him unconscious, PRISM had
written in the petition.
Lalbiakzuala had suffered
many bruises for which he was
admitted to Synod Hospital in
Durtlang. PRISM president
said the Mizoram Government
gave Rs 50,000 hush money
to the victim’s father on January
29 following which the FIR
(filed by the victim’s father
himself) was withdrawn, and
the police stopped investigation
without any appropriate action.
Vanlalruata said that the victim
was not happy with how
the government dealt with the
case.
Vanlalruata said they had
earlier appealed to the State
Government to take legal actions,
but it remained silent.
Considering the assault as
an outright violation of human
rights, PRISM sought
NHRC’s intervention.
Earlier, the party had written
to President Ram Nath Kovind
and Prime Minister Narendra
Modi imploring them to order
a probe into the assault case and
take necessary action but without
any response.
Lalbiakzuala was discharged
on January 29 after undergoing
treatment at Synod Hospital
for a week.
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