SHILLONG, Aug 21: The East Khasi Hills district police have played down an anonymous letter that said the three INSAS rifles snatched from the police on August 15 by miscreants were tossed into Wah Umkhrah.
A vernacular daily had reported about the letter addressed to the headman of Mawlai with copies sent to the East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police and media houses.
“We have not received any letter but I read about it in the paper. Anyone can write an unsigned letter like that,” SP Sylvester Nongtnger said on Saturday, adding that the search for the weapons was on.
The person purported to have written the letter said he and his friends stumbled upon a few youths carrying the weapons in the Lawmali area. When they came to know these were snatched from the police, they asked the teenagers to hand them over.
“We tossed it into Wah Umkhrah from the Umpohliew bridge. This was done for the safety of the teenagers,” the letter read, insisting they decided to inform the authorities after appeals from the government and leaders of traditional bodies to return them.
The police did not make any attempt to search for the weapons at the site mentioned in the letter throughout the day.
The three policemen from Mawlai Mawkynroh outpost, who deserted their rifles and fled into a nearby forest after being attacked by a mob, were suspended and the government is initiating an inquiry against them.
The miscreants also hijacked an SUV (ML05 F 3013) in which the policemen were travelling. After vandalising the vehicle, they drove it across the city and later torched it at Jaiaw Pdengshnong.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma had appealed to the unidentified rifle-snatchers to return the weapons immediately.
The Opposition Congress mocked the Chief Minister for his “meek appeal” to return the snatched weapons, accusing him of being unable to shoulder responsibility and get the weapons traced.
