GUWAHATI: Assam Police have picked up one person suspecting him to be a part of a seven-member group of miscreants who had set afire three thatched huts belonging to two brothers from the Nepali community at Moinadhora village in the Harshanagar area near the Kamrup-West Khasi Hills border on Friday afternoon.
The huts owned by Bir Bahadur Rai and Soh Bahadur Rai were reportedly gutted in the incident.
Boko police have started investigation into the case after an FIR was filed by the duo.
“We picked up one A.R. Kingwell, in his thirties, who belongs to a village (Yonogmah as told to police by the man) in the Langpih area for questioning on Saturday night. The person says that he can speak only Khasi for which we are taking resort to an interpreter,” Boko police officer in-charge, Jogen Barman told The Shillong Times on Sunday.
The police are taking caution to prevent any flare-up in the village which has a dominant Nepali as well as Khasi population.
“This is the first time that an incident such as this has happened. Barring a murder in 2015, things have been peaceful in the Harshanagar area (about 35km from Boko town), where there is no land dispute as such,” Barman claimed.
Meghalaya police too are on alert with the in-charge of Langpih patrol post in touch with Boko police to gather details of the case.
According to reports, the sub-divisional police officer of Mawshynrut has been directed to rush to Langpih to conduct a thorough probe into the matter.
In 2010, four persons were killed in police firing following a clash between two communities in Langpih, situated on the fringes of Kamrup and West Khasi Hills districts.
Langpih is one of the 12 areas of difference between Assam and Meghalaya.