Mild tension in city after minor incidents

SHILLONG: There was mild tension and dislocation of trade in downtown Police Bazar area on Friday evening when some miscreants reportedly shouted provocative slogans leading to early closure of the shops. Police swung into action and took control before long.
When this reporter visited the area, it was found that panicked shopkeepers had pulled the shutters down. A posse of armed police personnel was deployed. When queried, some shopkeepers claimed that a group of boys passed through Police Bazar towards Umsohsun area shouting slogans.
The headman of Police Bazar, SL Singhania said that nothing serious happened in the area and there was probably some rumours which forced shopkeepers to close down early.
Meanwhile, there were some stray incidents of violence in last one week in Jaiaw area.
Police said at least in three instances people working) in e-commerce and food delivery companies were asked not enter certain localities in the area, besides a bike was also torched by miscreants.
Recently, a food delivery boy of Swiggy, while on duty, was intercepted by a group of boys at Jaiaw. They kicked his motorcycle and asked him not to come again to the area. In a similar incident, a Flipkart delivery boy was also accosted by some boys in Jaiaw asking him not come to the area.
On Thursday night, a Rapido captain was assaulted by a group of miscreants near Dr H Gordon Roberts Hospital, Jaiaw and later miscreants torched his bike near Wahingdoh bridge.
A senior police official in the city said that in the first two case, two boys were not assaulted but their bikes were kicked by the miscreants and they were asked not to come to the locality.
Stating that no one has come to file the FIR in the first two cases, the official however added that a case has been registered in Thursday’s incident where the Rapido captain was assaulted and his two wheeler was torched.
When asked if these stray incidents were related, the senior police official said that nothing can be ruled out and investigation was on into the matter.
The official however added that it is a criminal offence and action would be taken. “We can’t rule anything out. If there is link in these criminal offences action would be taken”, the official said.