SHILLONG, July 26: Following the unprecedented mob attack on the CM’s Secretariat in Tura on Monday evening, West Garo Hills Police has arrest a total of 36 individuals, including some members of political parties and others for inflammable social media posts that instigated the mob.
“These 36 people were allegedly involved, directly or indirectly, in planning and instigating the attack on the CMO, Tura,” police said.
Prominent among those arrested on Tuesday include self-styled activist Jaynie Ningring Sangma of Rongkhon for updating social media posts which fuelled the unrest on Monday evening.
Police made the arrest based on a series of WhatsApp posts put up in a group called Debate Hours and for inciting violence.
Police also claimed that another post, which has gone viral, mentions about “lobbing a grenade”.
Police have obtained a series of WhatsApp posts about Jaynie’s relentless exchange of messages with a woman identified as Rakhie Sangma.
Salseng R. Marak, who had instigated the agitated mob into violence by urging them to torch the ACHIK protest campsite, was also arrested.
Police said he was arrested from Damalgre, where he had gone into hiding.
One of the persons arrested was identified as home guard volunteer, GB Marak.
Police also arrested Sengbath D Sangma, who was identified as one of the main instigators.
Sengbath had allegedly posted on social media post calling for an “uprising” and asking people to lay down their lives like in September 30, 2005. He had also allegedly instigated people to attack the Chief Minister’s residence in Tura.
A total of nine people had in police firing in 2005 after a public meeting called in protest against the proposed bifurcation of the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBoSE) turned ugly resulting in clashes in Tura and Williamnagar. Four people were shot dead in Tura while five were killed in Williamnagar.
Police had earlier arrested 22 persons, including eight BJP workers and 13 TMC workers, prominent among them being TMC leader Richard M. Marak.
There is, however, no clarity from police on how the party affiliations were construed or why they were even mentioned. The list of arrested persons along with the party affiliation was allegedly released by the West Garo Hills SP, almost four hours prior to the DGP’s press conference in Shillong.
NPP worker Jackson A. Sangma who was part of the meeting between the CM and the two groups (ACHIK and GHSMC) was also arrested for allegedly inciting the mob.
Jackson, a resident of Nikwatgre in the Dakopgre locality in Tura, was seen as part of the group that went into conversation on the demand for a Winter Capital and clearance of backlog in jobs for the Garo community. As to how he was part of the meeting remains a mystery as the protest organisers failed to identify if he was indeed a part of the group that had met the CM.
He, however, left the meeting halfway and began to mingle with the crowd of supporters waiting outside. At some point in time, he began to question the hunger strikers and their objectives, expressing to those around him that they could not be on fast for 14 days and still walk without support.
All the arrested persons were produced before the District Sessions Court on Wednesday.
The police have asserted that the violence in Tura was a planned conspiracy to cause harm to the Chief Minister and vowed not to spare anyone who indulges in violence.
