Miscreants attack shop owner before throwing petrol bomb
SHILLONG: Unidentified miscreants set ablaze two garment shops in the heart of Police Bazar on Thursday morning.
According to East Khasi H
ills Superintendent of Police M Kharkrang, a group of eight people equipped with daos and knives attacked the owner of M/s Satyanarayan Textile Deepak Chaukhani and threw a petrol bomb into the shop.
The SP said that Chaukhani received minor injuries in the incident.
“The incident took place at around 8 am when Chaukhani opened the shutter of his shop to drop his children to school. Chaukhani resides in the same building where the two garment shops are housed with his family,” Kharkrang said.
Chaukhani’s shop was completely gutted, police said adding that the fire also spread to the nearby shop JB Textile which was damaged partially.
Total loss in the incident has been estimated to be around Rs 60 lakh, police said.Police informed that a case of arson has been registered against the miscreants and police are trying their best to identify the miscreants.
Meanwhile, expressing concern over rise in arson cases, KHNAM has said some mischievous groups or individuals, taking advantage of the prevailing situation, are trying to defame the pressure groups who are demanding implementation of ILP.
“We doubt the incidents of burning shops at Iewduh and Police Bazar might have been perpetrated by those who want to defame the pressure groups,” KHNAM working president Adelbert Nongrum said in a statement issued here on Wednesday.
According to him, this kind of incidents cannot take place in the high security zone like Police Bazaar which is always guarded by security personnel.
Criminals to be dealt with firm hand: Govt
SHILLONG: The State Government has expressed concern over escalation of violent and communal incidents over the last few days while reiterating its commitment to deal criminal elements with a firm hand.
Condemning the recent attacks on private properties and business establishments by vested interests and criminal elements, Commissioner and Secretary in-charge Political department, Jopthiaw Lyngdoh in statement on Thursday said, “The issue of influx and illegal infiltration is being addressed in a ‘timely’ and ‘integrated manner’ through legislative measures and strengthening of existing enforcement mechanisms.”
The release informed that 49 persons have been arrested in connection with the cases already registered.
The State Government is going to initiate a consultation with public to ensure that the core problems are appropriately analyzed, Lyngdoh said adding that in doing so a reasonable period of time was required and the interested groups should understand these considerations and adopt a patient attitude.
“The occurrence of violent incidents would only jeopardize the life and property of the citizens and create unnecessary tension in the minds of the people,” the Commissioner and Secretary Political department said while urging public to assist the law enforcing machinery for maintaining law and order situation.