Shillong, Mar 12: Assembly deputy speaker Timothy D Shira has filed defamation suits against two persons for allegedly making false accusations against him in social media that he had opposed the demand for winter capital in Tura.
The accused – Mikkanchi R Sangma of Darangiri, Goalpara, Assam and Balsrang Marak of Thapa Darenchi, North Garo Hills – referred to Shira’s address in the assembly to make the allegation in a video uploaded on YouTube.
According to the deputy speaker, the video went viral causing irreparable damage to his image.
“Without knowing details of what I have spoken in the House, they have flashed on YouTube that I am totally against my community, I am totally against making Tura the winter capital,” Shira said.
Two cases – defamation and criminal defamation –were filed in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Shillong in this regard on Wednesday, according to the deputy speaker’s counsel.
“In the criminal defamation, if they can’t prove their allegation, they can be punished as per criminal laws,” he said.
Defamation suits of Rs 100 crore were filed against each of them as they have wrongly interpreted what deputy speaker had spoken in the Assembly, he added.
He also mentioned that one of the accused is from Assam and “has nothing to do with Meghalaya”.
Her misinterpretation of his statement in the assembly has defamed him in his constituency, the counsel said.
