Home Minister, DGP silent on demoralising blow
SHILLONG: Two weeks after the assault on two cops at Umiam police station, the police are still clueless on the whereabouts of the accused KSU leader Ferdynald Kharkamni.
After Kharkamni assaulted the two police officers on October 15, the police had filed an FIR but a lookout notice was issued only on October 24.
A senior police official said on Friday that he was yet to receive any latest report regarding the matter.
“We have to find out what is the status”, he said.
There was no response from either Home Minister James Sangma or DGP R Chandranathan after a query was made via WhatsApp on the status of the case.
Police sources said the assault incident has had a demoralising effect on lower rank officers.
The Deputy IGP (Eastern Range), MK Dkhar said that the search for the KSU leader was on and a case has already been registered by the Ri Bhoi police under sections 190, 341,323, 353 and 506 of IPC.
Section 190 is threat of injury to induce a person to refrain from applying for protection to public servant while section 341 is wrongful restraint and 323 mentions about punishment for voluntarily causing hurt.
Section 353 is assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duty and 506 is punishment for criminal intimidation.
The CCTV footage of Kharkamni slapping the officer-in-charge, sub-inspector L. Syngkhon and head constable B. Bordoloi, who were in uniforms, had gone viral.
The CCTV footage also shows Kharkamni banging the table and throwing away papers from the table.
The head constable had filed the FIR on October 15.
The assault episode was following the demand of the KSU to release a Khasi youth, after police named him as involved in the assault of a pickup van driver identified as Amir Ali in Sumer in Ri Bhoi.
However, the KSU leaders of North Khasi Hills had blamed Bordoloi for provoking them which, according to the leaders, resulted in the assault.
The KSU North Khasi Hills general secretary, Lambok Rymbai, had also denied involvement of KSU members in the assault of the driver.