From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: Barred from illegally using forest land, a disgruntled villager of Samasi in East Jaintia Hills, Jialwis Paslein, lodged a complaint against the district Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Officer in-charge Saipung Police Station and other police officials on Friday.
A police team led by East Jaintia Hills DSP, W Muskor, had visited Mynthning village on Thursday to serve notices following an order passed by the District Council Court as per the directive of the Meghalaya High Court on July 16 last barring all private parties from encroaching into forest land in the village.
In his complaint, Paslein said that the policemen “came to my land in which I had constructed a house besides planting various fruit trees, bamboo and ground vegetable and destroyed almost everything.”
“They directed my labourers to immediately all activities in the land and also threatened to kill me and the labourers if we did not abide by the orders,” the complaint added.
A copy of the complaint was forwarded to the DGP and the Home Minister.
Private parties, namely, Begin Paslein and Proster Tangliang of Samasi among others were allegedly using the forest land for activities such as extraction of coal etc.
East Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police, MK Dkhar said that he has directed the Additional Superintendent of Police to conduct an inquiry into the matter. “Action will be taken only after the Addl. SP submitted the report,” he said.
DSP W Muskor said, “There is enough evidence to prove that all allegations made by Paslein are false and baseless as the entire process (on Thursday) was carried out in presence of media persons and elders from Mynthning village and the event was also video recorded.”
The Officer in-charge Saipung Police Station, M Marboh, meanwhile, was not present during the visit to the village.
Supporting the police personnel, the Rangbah shnong of Mynthning village, Wolbing Paslein alleged that Jialwis Paslein had illegally constructed a farmhouse and planted vegetation in a portion of village forest land and the JHADC had cancelled his land holding certificate in an order (JHADC/RE.MRC/30/2011) passed on March 18, 2013.