News Analysis India

Tag: Meghalaya militant death

  • Meghalaya ministers, MLAs receive extortion notices days after police encounter of ex-militant

    By PTI

    SHILLONG: Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Saturday said that several ministers and MLAs in the state have received extortion notices from an outlawed organisation, days after the death of a former militant of the outfit in an encounter with policemen.

    An investigation has been initiated by the state police as a number of politicians got text messages on their mobile phones from the militant organisation “demanding Rs 10 lakh and above as income tax”, a senior officer said.

    Violence had erupted in Mawlai and Jaiaw areas of Shillong following the death of Cheristerfield Thangkhiew, the former self-styled general secretary of the outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), in an encounter when the police raided his home in the early hours of August 13.

    Thangkhiew, who had surrendered in 2018, was shot dead when he allegedly tried to attack a police team with a knife during the raid in connection with a series of IED blasts in the state. “We are aware of the fact that ministers and MLAs have received these (extortion notices) and the matter is under investigation,” Tynsong told PTI.

    The police are probing the case, keeping in mind the safety and security of persons who have got the text messages through SMSes or Whatsapp, he said. Not only political leaders but several businessmen have also received the messages on their mobile phones from overseas, the police officer said.

    “The demand was made in the name of income tax to the tune of Rs 10 lakh and above. Several politicians and businessmen have been asked to pay the amount as income tax to the HNLC,” he said. According to the police, at least two persons, including a woman, were injured in an improvised explosive device blast by insurgents, which went off behind a busy marketplace here on August 10.

    In an email to news organisations, the outlawed HNLC had claimed responsibility for the explosion ahead of the Independence Day celebration. Last month, the organisation had carried out another IED attack near quarters of the reserve police force personnel in East Jaintia Hills.

    Earlier this year, the HNLC had also conducted an attack inside a cement plant in the district.

    Thangkhiew’s family members had lodged a complaint against two police officers – East Jaintia Hills district SP and East Khasi Hills district SP (Traffic) — accusing them of being involved in the encounter killing.

    The Meghalaya government has instituted a judicial inquiry to be conducted by Justice (retd) T Vaiphei, the chairperson of the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission, into the encounter incident.

  • Meghalaya ex-militant death: Curfew lifted in Shillong for 12 hours on Thursday

    By PTI

    SHILLONG: Curfew, which was clamped here following unrest, was lifted for 12 hours from 5 am on Thursday as the law and order situation improved in the last 24 hours, an official said. The restriction, however, will be in place at night, he said.

    East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner I Laloo has issued an order, relaxing the curfew in Shillong urban agglomeration for 12 hours till 5 pm on August 19, the official said. Shops involved in selling essential items have been allowed to open till 4 pm and transactions at banks permitted till 3 pm.

    State and central government offices, private establishments and post offices have been allowed to operate till 4 pm with a 30 per cent workforce, according to the order. The district administration had on Wednesday lifted the curfew in the state capital for 11 hours till 4 pm.

    Mobile internet services were also withdrawn since the evening of August 15 in at least four districts after vandalism and arson rocked the state capital and nearby areas on Independence Day during the funeral procession of a former militant, who was killed in a recent police encounter.

    The mobile data services were restored on Wednesday night, the official said.

    Violence erupted in Mawlai and Jaiaw areas of Shillong following the death of Cheristerfield Thangkhiew, the former self-styled general secretary of the outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), in an encounter when the police raided his home in the early hours of August 13.

    Thangkhiew, who had surrendered in 2018, was shot dead when he allegedly tried to attack a police team with a knife during the raid in connection with a series of IED blasts in the state. Unidentified miscreants hurled petrol bombs at the private residence of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma late on Sunday.

    A vehicle carrying CRPF personnel was attacked by protesters in Mawlai area here during the curfew hours. Meghalaya Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui had resigned on Sunday amid violence in the city over the police shooting of the former militant.

    Sangma had on Monday announced a judicial investigation into the death of 54-year-old Thangkhiew and Meghalaya Human Rights Commission chairperson Justice T Vaiphei will conduct the probe. A group of people from Mawlai had met Sangma and Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Wednesday and demanded suspension of police officers involved in the encounter.