Booking of our leaders could be linked to anti-drugs fight: HYC

Shillong, May 28: Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) president Roy Kupar Synrem suspected that the booking of its leaders by the police under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order (MMP) Act, 2010 could be linked to their efforts to weed out the menace of drugs.
After deposing before the police at the Sadar police station here on Tuesday, Synrem told the media that everyone has a fair idea about the amount of money involved in the drugs business.
The East Khasi Hills police had sent summons to him and other leaders of the HYC for appearance in connection with an FIR registered over the eviction drive carried out by the organisation at Lum Survey last week. The summons to Synrem was issued under section 41 A of Code of Criminal Procedure.
Synrem said many of those involved in drug cartel will not be happy with the HYC’s fight against drugs. He said the organisation is committed to ensuring that the drugs business does not flourish. He said their efforts will be to reach out to the addicts and provide help to them.
Meanwhile, the HYC president said they are ready to cooperate with the police in connection with the case registered against them. He said he had appeared before the police to give his statement relating to the dismantling of the illegal structures at Lum Survey. “We have nothing to comment against the police for registering the case against the leaders of the organisation,” he said. He said they did what was needed after reviewing the situation at Lum Survey.
According to him, they cannot allow illegal activities to continue in the area, alleging that the people illegally residing there were involved in the selling of drugs.
He disclosed that the police also sent summons to the vice president and the secretary of the HYC, seeking their appearance at the Sadar police station on different days.
Synrem said East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner SC Sadhu had scheduled a meeting with them on Monday but postponed it as the latter is preoccupied with the preparations of counting of votes of the Lok Sabha elections on June 4.
He said they will wait for the next step of the district administration and the District Estate Officer on the plot of land at Lum Survey.
The district court was scheduled to hear the case relating to the plot on Tuesday but there was no update on the day’s proceedings.