Nearly three decades after a man was found dead inside a police outpost in Jaintia Hills, a Meghalaya court has convicted a former police officer in one of the state’s oldest custodial death cases — reviving painful questions around delayed justice and accountability within the system.
JOWAI :A district court in Jowai has convicted former police officer Glithstone Ch. Marak in connection with a custodial death case dating back to 1997, bringing an end to a legal battle that stretched for almost 29 years.
According to an official press release issued by the Office of the Superintendent of Police, West Jaintia Hills, the verdict was delivered on May 20 by the court of District and Sessions Judge N.A. Khan.
The case relates to the death of Emsalon Tariang, who was allegedly picked up from his residence during the early hours of November 16, 1997, by police personnel attached to the Raliang Out Post.
Police records stated that the victim’s mother later alleged that officers who arrived at the house appeared intoxicated and had assaulted and threatened her son after taking him into custody. Despite repeated pleas from the family, Tariang was not released.
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The following morning, at around 7 am, his mother reportedly found him lying dead inside the police outpost. The case was subsequently registered at Jowai Police Station under Sections 302 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. The investigation was later carried out by the then Officer-in-Charge of Jowai Police Station, Inspector Nila Kalita.
After nearly three decades of court proceedings, the trial court found the accused guilty in connection with the custodial death. However, while pronouncing the sentence, the court also took into account several mitigating factors, including the convict’s current age of 64 years, his dismissal from service, and the absence of previous criminal antecedents.
The court sentenced Glithstone Ch. Marak to two years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of ₹2,000.
Official Press Release
The conviction has once again drawn attention to custodial violence cases and the long delays that often surround criminal trials involving abuse of authority. Custodial death cases remain among the most sensitive human rights issues in India, with families frequently waiting years — and sometimes decades — for legal closure.
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