SHILLONG: West Jaintia Hills district administration has justified Tuesday’s police action on the agitating students of the Kiang Nangbah Government College saying police had to resort to lath-charge to bring the situation under control.
While justifying police action West Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner Arunkumar Kembhav on Wednesday said that due procedure of law was followed during Tuesday’s incident.
At least 22 people, including 17 students and five policemen, were injured after agitating students started pelting stones forcing police to fire teargas and resort to lathi-charge.
According to Kembhav, initially water canons followed by tear gas shells were used to disperse the mob. “Since the situation could not be brought under control police were forced to resort to lathi-charge,” he said.
The incident took place when the students of the Kiang Nangbah Government College took out a march to the Deputy Commissioner’s office at Jowai, the district headquarters of West Jaintia Hills, in protest against the government’s failure to fulfill their 7-point demands.
He said that police as well as the ADM have filed separate FIRs against unknown people for the injuries to the cops and the damage to public property.
He said that no one had been arrested so far in this connection.
The students have been demanding immediate extension of the main college building, delinking of Class XII, regularizing the services of 13 casual employees, renovation of boys’ hostel, repairing of the approach road and others.
Earlier on November 9 S.C Laloo, Additional Deputy Commissioner lodged a complaint that one Jearson Shylla, ex-member of Kiang Nangbah Government College Students Union along with two unidentified accomplices locked the main entrance shutter of Kiang Nangbah Government College at Jowai without permission from the College authorities.
