> Uncategorized > POLICE PROTECTING THE MURDERER, PUTTING PRESSURE ON WITNESSES: PADAM’S FAMILY
POLICE PROTECTING THE MURDERER, PUTTING PRESSURE ON WITNESSES: PADAM’S FAMILY
“We have no faith on police, our evidences are being supressed, only hope lies on Govt to give justice”
GANGTOK,: The family members of Padam Gurung on Tuesday told media that they have lost all faith on Sikkim Police as “evidences” are being supressed and witnesses are being intimidated to protect the accused person. Attempts are also being made to frame me by trying to coerce the witnesses to file false FIRs against me, said the victim’s brother Prem Kumar Gurung at a press meet.
“I have been collecting evidences and statements from witnesses regarding the murder of my brother late Padam Gurung, and submitting them to the police. However, the police supresses the evidences and also intimidates the witnesses. The police are protecting the accused and focused on quashing our evidences as wrong instead of investigating our evidences. We have no faith on police to give justice to my late brother,” said Prem.
Namchi Government College SRC president Padam Gurung had been found dead in a Namchi town drain on June 28 morning. His death was investigated by a SIT before the State government formed a one-man judicial inquiry commission to probe the incident.
Prem Kumar Gurung accompanied by other relatives said they are sharing with the media all the materials and evidences they have collected since the police simply supress their submissions. Through the media, I hope the matter reaches the State government and justice is given to our late brother, he said.
Over the past one month, several video clips and claims have been doing rounds on social media. The family members have refused to accept that Padam was washed away by the drain leading to his death.
Recently, three girls including two minors had issued their statement through a social media video as “eyewitnesses” related to the fatal incident at Namchi. Their statements have also been taken by the Child Welfare Committee, Namchi.
According to Prem, the parents of these three girls are being pressurized by certain police officers to withdraw their original statements given on social media and to level certain allegations that he (Prem) had coerced them to make the social video statements. If the police does such things to supress the case and wants to frame me with a false FIR, who will give justice to late Padam Gurung?, he questioned.
At the press meet, the deceased student’s brother rang up a lady, whom he introduced as the mother of one of “eyewitness” girl and presented the live conversation before the media.
The woman on the phone claimed that her husband was called to the Namchi police station where he was allegedly directed by one officer to tell the media that “their daughter made a false statement”, and to file a police complaint against Prem Gurung. But my husband declined to do the same, she said.
“I only tell this that Padam Gurung’s family are only asking for justice for their son. Nothing else. It is a wrong thing to tell the parents that our children have made wrong statements on what they have seen. I cannot do these false acts,” said the woman.
She expressed her concerns that the three “eyewitnesses” girls are also under a threat now, having come forward with their social media statements. She questioned who will take responsibility for the safety of these three girls.
The family members of late Padam Gurung named one resident of Namchi for the “murder”. However, police are protecting him while the three girls and their parents are facing pressure, they said, demanding protection for the three girls.
“It is unfortunate that police are quashing and side-lining the evidences even when it placed to them by the victim’s family. We are seeking justice only. The people of our village are getting agitated and somehow we have managed to pacify them as judicial probe is going on,” said Padam’s uncle at the media conference.