Shillong, April 22: The Khasi Hills unit of the Garo Students’ Union (GSU) has demanded a fresh inquiry into the Williamnagar police firing, rejecting one of the two judicial committee reports on the incident.

Meghalaya chief minister Lapang tabled the findings of the two inquiry panels in the Assembly on Thursday.

Nine persons, mostly students, were killed when police opened fire on protesters, who had gathered at the Chandmari playground in Tura and Rongrengre playground in Williamnagar, to raise their voice against the state government’s stand on the restructuring of the Meghalaya Board of School Education, on September 30, 2005.

While four protesters fell to police bullets in Tura, under West Garo Hills district, five died in Williamnagar, under East Garo Hills district.

The D.D. Lapang-led government had then instituted judicial inquiry, headed by Justice (retd) D.N. Chowdhury and Justice (retd) D.N. Baruah for the Tura and Williamnagar firing incidents.

Justice (retd) Baruah gave a “clean chit” to the Williamnagar district administration and the police saying, “As the mob attacked the police, the security personnel had to open fire.”

Justice (retd) Chowdhury, however, squarely blamed the West Garo Hills district administration for the firing.

The GSU is likely to hold an all-unit meeting to decide its response to the reports.

A member of the GSU’s Khasi Hills zone said, “A fresh inquiry into the firing incident in Williamnagar is important, as the inquiry is incomplete.”