From Our Correspondent
NONGPOH: Five youths were brutally assaulted while their vehicle was torched by a mob of dumper drivers and their associates at Killing under Khanapara Police Station late Tuesday night.
The incident occurred after a Bolero, ML10 A 7168, driven by Khongjoh (30) was hit by a rashly driven dumper at a turning near RIST Killing around 12.30 am following which drivers of the dumpers assaulted the youths in the Bolero.
Khongjah was accompanied by Hamander Wahlang (22), Te Shyrti (27), John Marak (22) and Saiba Marak (20).
Narrating the incident, one of the victims, Wahlang said, “Enraged at being hit, we stopped the dumper and reprimanded the driver even as one of us slapped him in a fit of rage following which we continued our journey.”
Angered, the driver gathered a mob of fellow drivers and instructed the dumpers proceeding to National Highway from Killing to block the Bolero from their side and vice versa. Later around 60 dumpers, which transport soil form Killing to Assam, blocked the Bolero as the drivers assaulted the youth before leaving the spot.
“If that was not enough, the drivers returned again, this time to torch our vehicle,” Wahlang said.
“After attacking us twice they had the audacity to come back for the third time but one of us called out for help and soon a crowd gathered around us seeing which the drivers fled leaving their dumpers behind,” Wahlang, who was the only one among the five to escape with minor injuries, added.
Later, a strong police contingent led by SP Ri-Bhoi district and senior police officers rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation. Police have detained the dumpers.
Meanwhile, the Ri Bhoi Youth Federation (RBYF), Byrnihat Circle, KSU, North Khasi Hills, HANM, Them Marwet Circle along with the Rangbah Shnong of Umlangpur, Jorbil, Khasi Killing and Baridua while condemning the barbaric attack on the local youths demanded immediate arrest of the guilty.
RBYF president Badap Khongpdah said these dumpers were engaged in illegal transportation of soil, boulders and sand. “The dumpers have also destroyed the PWD road from Killing to Umtyrnga,” he alleged.