By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 28: Citing a few cases of highway extortion, Cabinet Minister Paul Lyngdoh on Thursday said unlawful acts by people claiming to be the members of social organisations will not be tolerated.
“This is a matter of great concern. We do not expect so-called NGOs to act as criminals. I will flag this issue with the Deputy Chief Minister (in charge of Home Police). He is not in the station currently,” he said.
Earlier this month, the police in Ri-Bhoi arrested five members of the Hynniewtrep National Youth Movement for extortion along the Umdihar-Nongpoh-Umsning stretch of NH-6. The police said that a group led by one Syngkli was repeatedly stopping tourist taxi vehicles on this stretch at night and extracting Rs 3,000-6,500 from them.
Lyngdoh said such criminal intimidation not only harms individual drivers but also directly threatens Meghalaya’s growing tourism sector, which supports countless families and livelihoods.
