MAWKYRWAT, Aug 16: Five persons were injured after a mob allegedly attacked the house of a Clan leader at Nongdiloin village, around 30 km from Mawkyrwat in South West Khasi Hills on Wednesday.
South West Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, GD Kharwanlang said the incident took place at around 7:30 pm at the house of the Acting Lyngdoh Kur Paliar at Nongdiloin village in which a mob of more than 100 people attacked the residence of Phaibor Paliar by pelting stones at his house and tried to forcefully enter the house by slamming the doors and windows with daggers and other dangerous weapons. The mob also allegedly threatened to kill all people present inside the house.
Kharwanlang also said that it was at this time that Khreslan Lyngkhoi, father of Phaibor, Paliar took out his SBBL rifle and shot four rounds of 70 mm pellets towards the mob to protect his family and property which resulted in the injury of five persons and scattered the mob far from the house. The mob however continued pelting stones at the house and dispersed only on the arrival of the police.
The SP said prior to the incident, Phaibor, his family and friends narrowly escaped an attack by the same group near Demnar village, around 5 km from Nongdiloin village on the Nongstoin-Wahkaji road. They were returning from Mawkyrwat when the mob arrived in 7-8 vehicles along with a mini bus and pelted stones on his vehicle.
The police said the injured persons were identified as Jim Paliar (36), Banrilang Nongsiej (36), Justarwell Paliar (23), Pyndapjingkyrmen Paliar (21) and a minor. They are undergoing treatment at NEIGHRIMS. FIRs have been received from both groups but no arrests have been made so far. Police said.
The SP said the Paliar Clan issue is a complicated one which has been lingering for three generations. There is a long-standing dispute over the leadership of the clan which owns vast tracks of land covering six villages and also generates good revenue from its resources.
Shedding light on the terrible incident at Nongdiloin village on Wednesday, Phaibor Paliar, the Acting Lyngdoh Kur Paliar, said the ‘leadership rivalry’ between two groups belonging to the Paliar Clan led to the attack forcing his father to fire at the mob to protect his family.
Paliar claimed that the mob was instigated by some leaders of the rival group and urged the police to bring the perpetrators of the mob violence to justice.
