By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 29: The recent reports of possible resurgence of militant groups in Garo Hills have prompted the Meghalaya Police to establish an Anti Terror Squad (ATS) to specifically deal with cases of terrorism in the state.
Speaking to media persons here after the inauguration of the ATS office, Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home, Prestone Tynsong said this dedicate police team will deal with instances of terrorism such as bomb threats and suspicious elements and ensure that no terror activities take place in the state.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Davis N.R. Marak said that all police units are working in different domains with some looking after investigation and operation but there was a need for a special unit to focus only on terrorism.
Stating that the directive for creation of ATS as a specific unit to deal with terrorism came from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Tynsong said the ATS would investigate, conduct operations and also collect intelligence as far as instances of terrorism is concerned.
As of now, the ATS consists of a small unit of Meghalaya Police officers and personnel but it will be strengthened with more manpower. The ATS consists of two groups one of which will be engaged in jungle warfare while the other group will be used for operations in urban areas.
The ATS will be given specialised training and equipment to tackle any instance of terrorism in the state.
Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister said that they have enough manpower for the ATS but the overall shortage of manpower will be addressed with the ongoing recruitment in the Police Department.
At the same time, the state police are now going to access all data from the Integrated Command and Control Centre to keep a tab on illegal activities even as the government has decided to strengthen the Directorate of Prosecution to thwart criminal activities in the state.
Tynsong said that the government has appointed a full-fledged Director for the Directorate of Prosecution and is looking for specialised manpower like Assistant Public Prosecutor etc.
Tynsong also informed that the data from the Integrated Command and Control Centre will be integrated and transferred to the Police Department.
According to Tynsong, all the districts have also been allotted mobile forensic crime scene units fully equipped for any investigation.
Felicitation of SIT
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Monday presented commendations to the eight members of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by SP (City) Herbert Kharkongor, for their exemplary work in solving the murder of Indore-based businessman Raja Raghuvanshi, who was allegedly killed by his wife, Sonam, and four others in Sohra on May 23.
The SIT, formed by the Meghalaya Police, was lauded for successfully cracking this sensational case, which had dominated national headlines. The operation was codenamed “Operation Honeymoon.”
Besides the SIT probing the Raja Raghuvanshi murder case, the Investigating Officers (IOs) of the three cases were also commended for resolving cases within a short span of time.
The Chief Minister also launched the new Criminal Law Book and unveiled two digital initiatives, MegPol and PIMS, aimed at strengthening policing and criminal justice processes across the state.
Sangma also flagged off the ‘DFS Crime Scene Vehicles’ for all 12 districts of the State. The vehicles will be used by the forensic unit of the Meghalaya Police.
