Shillong: The Meghalaya government has identified five masked persons allegedly involved in the August 19 violence in Shillong, particularly attacks on Assam-registered vehicles, following a joint meeting with Assam on Saturday.
The development was discussed at a more than three-hour meeting between senior officials of the two states at the Koinadhara State Guest House, led by Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar and Assam Minister Atul Bora.
Meghalaya has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to identify the remaining suspects and pursue their prosecution. The government said 15 FIRs had been registered over the violence and informed Assam that KSU president Raymond Kharjana, vice-president Pynkmenlang Sanmiet and general secretary Reuben Najiar had been arrested under the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order Act.
The state government expressed regret over the incident and assured that strong action would be taken against those responsible.
Meanwhile, more than 3,770 Assam-registered vehicles have been escorted from Meghalaya into Assam. Assam’s Control Room received 54 distress calls involving 175 people, while Meghalaya’s Control Room received 379 calls and took steps to facilitate safe transit.
The two states agreed to establish a coordination mechanism between senior police officials, supported by helplines and an online forum, to assist stranded people until normalcy returns. They also proposed permanent district-level committees involving Nongpoh and Kamrup Metropolitan officials to address border-related issues.
A joint committee involving transport officials and tourist vehicle associations will also be formed to regulate tourist movement and protect tourism interests. Meghalaya reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety of tourists and vehicles from Assam and other states travelling through or staying in the state.
