Khasi residents in Cachar safe: Assam Police

SHILLONG, Dec 5: Cachar Superintendent of Police, Bhanwar Lal Meena has asserted that the situation in Atukhal village in Cachar is normal.
The statement came from the SP as the militant outfit had reportedly held the Khasi residents of Atukhal responsible for the arrests of three members of the Hmar Peoples’ Convention –Democratic (HPC-D) members by Assam Police recently and had threatened to shoot them.
Speaking on the matter with The Shillong Times over the phone, SP Bhanwar Lal Meena confirmed that a call was made to some people in the Khasi settlement and the surrounding villages dominated by the Hmar people.
“We cannot say exactly who is behind this even though we suspect the involvement of the HPD (D) in this,” the SP said.
) According to SP, the situation is now normal and there is no tension in the area.
“We are conducting counter-insurgency operations and have even deployed a platoon of security forces in the village,” Meena said.
It may be mentioned that the HPC (D) General Headquarters has also broken its silence and stated that the culprits were some impostors posing as members of HPC-D, Cachar region.
While condemning the “dastardly terrorist attack”, the HPC-D had assured to take up steps in preventing the recurrence of such incidents in future.
The organisation has further identified the “mastermind” behind the act as Gideon Lalthomlien Neitham alias Thoma Hmar and made it clear that they do not recognise and acknowledge the heinous act of the self-styled HPC-D Cachar Region led by Thoma Hmar
Director General of Police, Meghalaya, R. Chandranathan has also contacted senior police officials of Assam regarding the incident of Khasi villagers being threatened at Atukhal village.
It is reported that the Khasi villagers are presently taking shelter inside a church, which is being secured by police officials.
The KSU had earlier also warned the HPC (D) against causing harm to the Khasi residents of Atukhal.