SHILLONG, April 8: Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong on Friday said the state government has directed the law-enforcement agencies to check the veracity of two threat emails sent to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma by a purported newly-formed insurgent group Lawei ba Phyrnai.
The second email was sent on Thursday with the demand to release former HNLC leader, Julius K Dorphang by 10 pm on Sunday. It carried a threat that an LP school would be blown up if the demand was not fulfilled.
Tynsong said necessary action will be taken. He said the government has directed the police to be alert and remain proactive. The cyber cell as well as the entire machinery of the government is in place to ensure that law and order is maintained in the state, he said.
Incidentally, the State Police, which often stresses on the need to avoid rumours and speculations whenever any law-and-order issue crops up, is maintaining a cold silence on the threat.
Media persons were left exasperated after running from pillar to post on Friday to get information on the steps taken by the police to thwart any nefarious activity.
Assistant IGP GK Iangrai refused to comment on the matter and said he would find out if Special DGP Idashisha Nongrang would be able to meet and brief journalists on the development.
Iangrai later called up saying the Special DGP cannot meet media persons as she had a busy schedule.
When journalists called up East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Sylvester Nongtnger for an update, he told them to contact the higher ups for information.
Later, a group of journalists went to the DGP’s office to meet Nongrang but she refused to brief them saying she was busy.
The second email was shared with several media houses in the state, including The Shillong Times, by the publicity secretary of the group.
He said he was a teacher before his contract was terminated. He demanded that Dorphang is released and left alone inside a bus at the ISBT platform at 10 pm sharp on April 9, 2022 (Saturday).
Dorphang is currently serving a 25-year sentence after being convicted of raping a minor girl in 2017.
On April 1, the group had sent its first email to the CM, Governor and some police officials wherein it had identified itself as a “terror group” formed by 37 “qualified jobless youth” and threatened that bombs would go off every single week starting from May 1, 2022.
“Our first target is the MBoSE building; next will be St. Anthony’s School and College where I passed out from. And even NEHU where I received my diploma. And yes, we will keep planting bombs till you and your government come up with a solution to employ every single Meghalayan out there,” the sender of the email had warned.
The group had claimed that it had free sponsored arms and ammunition whose capability and strength will come to display in a couple of weeks from now.