Another activist escapes bid on life, files FIR

SHILLONG: Another activist, who escaped from the clutches of the coal mafia on Tuesday, narrated his plight to the police at the headquarters through an FIR filed on Thursday alleging police-coal mafia nexus.
He also said his life is in danger after a group of persons threatened to kill him.
The chairman of North East Indigenous People Federation (NEIPF), Marshall Biam, said as many as seven persons had assaulted him demanding withdrawal of complaints lodged by other members of NEIPF regarding illegal collection of money by the officer in charge of Khliehriat police station H Khonglah from coal trucks.
They also confined him in a vehicle and took him to the office of the East Jaintia Hills SP.
The FIR named the persons as Graham Lyngdoh of Tuber Kmaishnong village, Hamlen Rymbai and Cheerful Ryngkhlem of Wapungskur village, Rock Sympli of Umlawang village, Nidamon Chullet, President of Jaintia Hills Truck Owners Association of Shangpung village, Defender Pakem, Advocate, who is a resident of Mulait village and Sambormi Lyngdoh, president EJNC of Khliehriat West village.
The FIR said he was forcefully taken in a vehicle to the office chamber of SP Sylvester Nongtnger and they asked him to withdraw the complaint.
“The superintendent of police even directed me to withdraw the complaint despite informing him that I was not the complainant,” he said.
After the activist left the office of the SP, he was taken to Ladrymbai by the accused persons in the same vehicle and he was forcefully confined.
However, he came out of the vehicle and took shelter in a nearby pharmacy and called up Ladrymbai police outpost.
Later, a police official rushed to the spot and took him to the police outpost.
According to the FIR, the persons who were following him also reached Ladrymbai police outpost.
The NGO leader alleged that he was beaten up by them in the presence of SI Iawphniaw, officer in charge of the outpost and other police men at the Ladrymbai outpost.
Though the Deputy SP, East Jaintia Hills, rescued him, Iawphniaw snatched away his mobile phone, the FIR said, while the persons who assaulted him asked the police to hand him over to them.
Later, the Deputy SP took him to the SP’s office and as directed by the SP and the accused persons, he was compelled to withdraw the complaint.
In the FIR, the activist said since he suspected a nexus between the police and the coal mafia, he did not file the complaint in Khliehriat police station and instead lodged the FIR before Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eastern Range in Shillong.
He asked the police to arrest the persons who threatened and assaulted him since they are a threat to his life.