Amid curfew, Shillong remains tense
EIGHT PERSONS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED SO FAR IN CONNECTION WITH KHASI STUDENTS’ UNION ACTIVIST LURSHAI HYNNIEWTA’S MURDER
SHILLONG: An uneasy calm still prevails in the Meghalaya capital and its adjoining areas even as curfew has been extended till Tuesday to prevent any untoward incident.
Normalcy is yet to be restored and the district administration is trying to ensure that tensions ease especially in light of the ongoing board examinations.
“We are monitoring the situation closely and adequate preventive security measures have been put in place to ensure that there is no escalation in any kind of trouble,” said M W Nongbri, district magistrate, East Khasi Hills.
According to police headquarters, “no untoward incident has been reported” till Monday evening.
The funeral of Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) activist, Lurshai Hynniewta, who was killed in mob violence at Ichamati last Friday during a public rally organised by the KSU to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest and also the demand for the imposition of inner liner permit (ILP) in the tribal-dominated state, was held on Monday in his native town, Sohra, which was previously known as Cherrapunjee.
The funeral was attended by Meghalaya agriculture minister, Banteidor Lyngdoh, the lawmaker from Umsning assembly constituency, Jason Sawkmie Mawlong, and councillor of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), Latiplang Kharkongor, along with mourners from Hynniewta’s family, KSU supporters and members of several pressure groups.
Altogether, three persons lost their lives in separate incidents, while 11 others have been injured since Friday. Police are yet to confirm whether the other two deaths were due to an aftermath of the Ichamati incident.
Besides Hynniewta; a nontribal trader, Rupchand Dewan, was stabbed to death at Iewduh on Saturday. Another nontribal, Uphas Uddin,was murdered at his residence at Pyrkan village near Shella on Sunday.
Eight persons have been arrested so far in connection with Hynniewta’s murder.
Meghalaya chief minister, Conrad K. Sangma, along with his cabinet colleagues, home minister Lahkmen Rymbui, health minister AL Hek and general administrative department minister, Comingone Ymbon, paid a visit to the injured who are undergoing medical treatment at Shillong Civil Hospital.
Sangma told mediapersons that condition of most of the injured is stable and also announced that the state government would bear the expenses of their treatment.
He assured that all precautionary measures are in place to bring the law and order situation under control and appealed to all stakeholders and individuals to refrain from any kind of violence in a bid to restore peace and normalcy.
Sangma added that central armed police force (CAPF) personnel have been deployed and he has also been in touch on a daily basis with the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office in view of the prevailing law and order situation.
The chief minister said that suo moto cases have been lodged against the stabbing incidents and East Khasi Hills’ superintendent of police, Claudia A Lyngwa, and her team are investigating the matter.