From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: The Dorbar Shnong of Mynthning village in East Jaintia Hills District has alleged that residents of Samasi village have continuously violated several court orders issued against them either by the High Court or the District Council Court.
The Mynthning Dorbar Shnong alleged that a group of people from Samasi led by their headman, Jialwis Paslein, and other including Proster Tangliang, Begin Paslein and others have been illegally utilizing the Mynthning village forest and engaging in criminal activities by assaulting and threatening coal labourers working in the forest land on behalf of the Mynthning village.
“We fail to understand why the headman of Samasi village, despite holding such a high office and being responsible for maintenance of law and order within his village, has the audacity to violate almost every order issued either by the high court or the lower court,” an elder from Mynthning said under condition of anonymity.
Elders of Mynthning village informed that there is a contempt case pending against the headman and the village secretary of Samasi, but they have been engaged in gross violation of court orders.
Pointing to the May 17 order of the High Court of Meghalaya, the elders of Mynthning village stated that the court had asked both sides to refrain from disturbing each other or causing law and order problem.
The elders of Mynthning village informed that the High Court, in its order dated July 1, had directed the Judge of the District Council Court to send for inspection to ascertain whether there is any violation of the Court’s order.
The Judge of the District Council Court on July 4, directed the Presiding Officer, Subordinate District Council Court, to conduct spot inspection and to submit the memorandum of inspection on July 9. The spot inspection confirmed that people from Samasi led by their headman had violated the Court order dated May 17.
Earlier, on June 12, as per the directive of the High Court, the East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police (SP) had submitted an enquiry report to the High Court. The report had also confirmed that Proster Tangliang, Begin Paslein and others have encroached about 350 metres from the western side of the boundary inside the forest land possession of Mynthning village.
Basing on the facts, the Judge of the District Council Court issued an order dated July 10 restraining entry into the suit land and preventing extracting of coal.
Despite the order passed by the Judge, the people from Samasi led by their headman and the village secretary have continued to encroach into the suit land and extract coal.
The Mynthning dorbar has appealed to the concerned authorities to look into the matter and punish the culprits at the earliest.