MPUF rubbishes extortion allegation

SHILLONG: The Meghalaya People United Front (MPUF) has rubbished allegations of extortion leveled against the leaders of the organization by one Ali Imam who runs “a grocery store” in Lad Rymbai.
The store owner had alleged that the MPUF demanded Rs 1.2 lakh from him after detecting expired goods at his store.
“We have not made any such demand. We only asked him (Imam) to report to our office on April 6 after we learnt that he was supplying expired food items,” MPUF president, Dapoiwanmi Laloo told newsmen here on Monday.
Stating that the trader was also asked to produce his wholesaler, trading and labour licenses, Laloo claimed that Imam could not provide the documents even after the MPUF gave him time till April 8 to do so.
“This shows that he was running his business illegally,” the MPUF president said adding that the organization decided to file an FIR against the trader for selling expired goods and running a business without proper documents on April 9.
“On April 10, the trader under the influence of someone else filed a counter FIR against our members falsely accusing them of extortion,” Laloo said.
Interestingly, the MPUF leader informed that the organization sorted the matter out with the trader and both the parties subsequently withdrew the respective FIRs on April 11.