By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 18: The sensational Umsning market IED recovery case has made some headway with the arrest of six overground workers of the proscribed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC).
The IED was recovered from Umsning market in the Ri-Bhoi district earlier this month.
Investigators have indicated that more arrests are likely as the case unfolds.
On Saturday, Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Prestone Tynsong stated that the state government would take a firm stand against any activity threatening public safety.
He said that the administration would neither tolerate nor compromise on matters concerning the security of the people.
He further said that the government was determined to put in place every possible measure to prevent similar incidents in the future.
It may be recalled that the HNLC had claimed responsibility for planting the explosive, calling it a symbolic act of protest against what it described as the exploitation of the indigenous community by corrupt political and business interests.
Tynsong, while responding to the outfit’s statement, questioned its justification for such actions. He said the group must explain what specific compromises it was referring to, reiterating that the government and elected representatives were devoted to serving and protecting the interests of the people.
Cautioning that the investigation remained at a sensitive stage, he declined to reveal operational details, saying premature disclosure could impede progress. He said that the police would provide information once the probe reaches a concrete stage.
The October 12 discovery of the IED at the busy Umsning market prevented what could have been a serious tragedy. The bomb, detected and defused in time by the Ri-Bhoi police, was found to contain 4.7 kilograms of gelatin, 10 detonators, and around 50 pieces of iron rods packed as splinters.
