By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 7: The city had recently witnessed a breakdown of law and order with police resorting to use of tear gas shells and stun grenades in the heart of the city to disperse agitated members of the Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO).
The breakdown of law and order had its genesis in the police action against HITO members for wearing black uniforms on Tuesday. The police action was under Section 171 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 105 of the Meghalaya Police Act, 2010.
Meghalaya police officials said the HITO activists illegally sported the black uniform used by the personnel of the elite Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) or Special Operation Team (SOT).
However, the Meghalaya Police Act does not mention either SWAT or the SOT and was not amended to accommodate the Special Force-10.
The uniform of SF-10 personnel including sub-inspector and above is a camouflage with a specific badge but it is not clear under what provision of the law the original uniform was changed to black uniform.
The police contested that the HITO members violated Section 191 of the IPC for donning the Black Uniform but it appears the Meghalaya police neither have an Act nor an official notification legally describing the uniform of the SOT, SWAT, or the SF-10 to argue their case in a court.
The 5th Pay Commission of Meghalaya in 2017 did not make any specific mention of the scale of pay for personnel of the SOT, SWAT, or the SF-10 as it simply mentioned armed branch and unarmed branch.
