Pro-Inner Line Permit agitation takes an ugly turn
Iewduh shop owner hurt; goods worth Rs 20 lakh gutted
SHILLONG: A shop owner was injured while two cloth-shops were gutted by fire in Bara Bazar (Iewduh) after miscreants hurled petrol bombs at around 9. 15 am during the pro-ILP groups-sponsored office picketing on Tuesday.
The owner of one of the shops, Sunil Roy sustained burn injuries on his legs and was immediately rushed to the Shillong Civil hospital.
According to police, goods valu
ed
around Rs 20 lakh besides cash amounting to Rs 2 lakh was gutted in the fire.
Fear gripped the busy market place soon after the incident and non-tribal shopkeepers were seen closing down their shutters fearing more attacks.
Eye witnesses said that the miscreants involved in the incident carried sharp weapons and threatened the shop keepers with abusive words before hurling the petrol bombs.
East Khasi Hills SP M Kharkrang said that police suspect the involvement of the members of NGOs in the incident. “We have registered a case of arson and security has been beefed up in and around the busiest areas of the city,” he said.
While speaking to The Shillong Times, the injured shopkeeper Sunil Roy said, “Around five-six boys came and threw petrol bombs in the shop before burning it down.”
“I was inside when these people came and set the shop on fire which reduced it to ashes,” he said.
Another shop which was gutted in the fire belonged to one Dinesh Chandra Pal.
The fire brigade was called in to douse the fire.
There was neither the presence of police nor CRPF personnel when the incident took place. However, security was intensified in and around Bara Bazar after the incident.
Centre refuses to send additional forces
SHILLONG: In what could add to the woes of the State Government struggling to maintain law and order across the Sate, the Central Government has expressed its inability to send additional forces to Meghalaya.
This was informed by Principal Secretary (Home) KS Kropha on Tuesday.
“The Centre has intimated that additional forces are deployed in other states and efforts would be made to augment forces from different states and send it to Meghalaya,” Kropha said adding that the State Government would persistently insist for additional forces.