SHILLONG: The alleged involvement of an NPP leader from East Jaintia Hills and party supporters has come to the fore in the attack on social activists Agnes Kharshiing and Amita Sangma on November 8.
Though police and the intelligence agencies had identified the NPP leader as Nidamon Chullet a few weeks ago after cross-checking with the witnesses, there was delay in taking action.
Chullet is the working president of NPP, East-West Jaintia Hills, and he had joined the party in December last year in the presence of NPP president Conrad Sangma, party leaders James Sangma, Comingone Ymbon and others.
Chullet, the headman of Mynkrem, Shangpung is also the president Jaintia Hills Truck Owners Association.
Besides Chullet, police are also hunting for his accomplices, Tuberkmai Shnong headman Graham Lyngdoh and Pamrakmai headman Lukas Shylla.
With the delay in taking action against Chullet and others, a letter was sent on Thursday by a witness to Meghalaya DGP stating that the members of the ruling party led by Chullet were involved in the assault of the social activists.
The letter sought immediate arrest of the masterminds.
When the investigating officer first met Amita Sangma at NEIGRIHMS soon after the incident, she had revealed the alleged links between the police and coal dealers as it was soon after visiting Ladrymbai police station that she and Agnes were attacked at Sohsrieh, which is not far from the police station.
She had hence called for an independent probe into the incident but the government had rejected the plea.
The Opposition Congress had also alleged nexus among political leaders, police and coal mafia.
Questions were raised as to from which source the attackers came to know about the presence of the activists at Sohshireh as only the police knew about their visit.
According to an eyewitness, Chullet, who was present along with other attackers, wanted to talk to Agnes first and after she refused, they started attacking her.
Earlier on November 8, the chairman of North East Indigenous People Federation (NEIPF), Marshall Biam, had said in his FIR that seven persons, including Nidamon and Graham, 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 the coal trucks.
Till date, police arrested six persons, including a woman, who were involved in the attack on the activists.
The woman, Skemlang Dkhar, was the one who blocked the way with a white Maruti Gypsy helping the attackers numbering 30 to 40 to target Agnes and Amita.
A police source said their team acted on the available inputs and effected the arrest of some of the attackers and added that they are working on to arrest others involved.