SHILLONG, May 18: An angry mob on Sunday morning handed over two men to the Madanrting police station after accusing them of cheating people by promising jobs at the Assam Regimental Centre (ARC) in Happy Valley in exchange for money.
The accused — Valmiki Amar and Sujan Sharma — had organised a meeting on Sunday morning with their victims, most of whom had been added to a WhatsApp group called “Civil Workers”.
The purpose of the meeting was to inform them that they could no longer provide the promised jobs at ARC.
As the two tried to explain their inability to fulfill the job promises, the crowd became agitated. Around 11 am, the enraged group forcibly took the duo to the Madanrting police station.
Tensions escalated further when a third man, believed to be an associate of the accused, attempted to defend them while one of the accused was being taken for a medical examination.
The mob turned on him and began assaulting him.
A CRPF personnel stationed at the police post intervened just in time, pulling the man to safety inside the police station.
One police officer who tried to protect the associate was also injured during the scuffle.
Sources revealed that since February, the two men had collected money — ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 — from nearly 500 individuals, promising employment at ARC by May. The victims reportedly included both local residents and non-Khasis.
By late Sunday evening, many of those who were duped remained outside the police station, demanding that their money be returned.
Some of the affected youths have urged the police to take steps to ensure the accused refund the collected amounts.
