Police on Wednesday night arrested three senior leaders of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) in connection with the violence during the organisation’s black-flag bike rally in Shillong , with the arrests taking place around midnight.
Police arrest three KSU leaders over violence during Shillong black-flag bike rally.
Those arrested are KSU President Raymond Kharjana, General Secretary Reuben Najiar and Vice-President Pynkmenlang Sanmiet. Protesters allegedly threw stones at vehicles, damaged cars from outside the State, set fire to a government vehicle and assaulted pedestrians at different locations in the city. Police said the three have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including provisions relating to damage to public property, causing hurt and unlawful assembly, and were taken to Sadar Police Station for questioning. Police said the rally resulted in damage to 31 vehicles and injuries to several people. Around midnight, a police team, including SF-10 personnel, cordoned off the KSU office at Jaiaw Pdeng and searched the premises. The rally began around 4 pm from the KSU office at Jaiaw and passed through Lumdiengjri, Malki, Dhankheti, Umpling, Golf Link and Mawlai Mawroh before returning to Jaiaw. The union has demanded cancellation of the July 31 public hearing for the proposed new private cement plant project in East Jaintia Hills and action against officials it alleges were responsible for the conduct of the hearing, including the Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police of East Jaintia Hills and concerned officials of the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board.
