Post-poll violence in Mairang kills one

SHILLONG, March 3: One person was killed while several were injured in post-post violence in Mairang constituency on Thursday.
Situation, however, seemed to limp back to normalcy on Friday albeit Eastern West Khasi Hills District Magistrate imposed indefinite curfew from 6 pm to 6 am and prohibited the assembly of more than five persons in all government office complexes located at Mawsawa locality, Sangshong village, Umwiehsup locality and Mairang Mission village.
A district official informed that the person who was killed in the post-poll violence has been identified as Aiban Khymdeit, who hails from Ri-Bhoi and was settled at Pyndengumiong, Mairang, after his marriage.
According to the official, the body of the victim was identified by his wife on Friday.
It was also informed that many vehicles parked in the compound of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Mairang were set ablaze.
The district police fired tear gas shells to disperse the violent crowd last night, the official said.
It may be mentioned that the violence was sparked immediately after Congress supporters gheraoed the DC’s office, expressing dissatisfaction over the results in Mairang Assembly constituency.
UDP chief Metbah Lyngdoh defeated his nearest rival of the Congress, Batskhem Ryntathiang, by a slender margin of 155 votes in Mairang.
Lyngdoh was declared re-elected from the Assembly seat after he secured 19,066 votes as against Ryntathiang’s 18,911 votes.
The UDP chief has, meanwhile, aired concern over the post-poll violence in Mairang.
Lyngdoh also said that Ryntathiang had clarified to the Congress supporters that the counting was held very smoothly and there were no glitches.
“I fail to understand why the violence took place at all. Mairang is a very peaceful place and such an incident has no precedence. I pray that such things will not happen again in the future,” the UDP chief added.