By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 8: A shocking pattern of police extortion has emerged along National Highway-6, where truck drivers from outside Meghalaya claim they are being systematically tortured by police personnel manning checkpoints—allegedly forced to pay thousands of rupees in illegal “taxes” during a single trip through the state.
When a section of reporters visited the Shillong-Jowai Road on Monday, the truckers’ outrage was immediate and explosive. The drivers pointed to the Mawryngkneng checkpoint as a criminal hub, where police personnel allegedly demand anywhere between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000 from a single truck—the worst extortion racket in the state. The most damning revelation? Police personnel were conspicuously absent from the checkpoint on Monday—precisely because media persons were in the area, the truckers claimed.
“This is not checking documents—this is organised theft,” an angry truck driver exploded. “They do not really inspect our documents. We are forced to stop at every checkpoint and pay money. If we do not stop, they shout at us and chase us like criminals. We have to pay whatever amount they demand.”
According to the truckers, the extortion racket operates with brazen impunity: demands typically begin at Rs 200 but can rise to Rs 500 or Rs 600 per truck, depending on the checkpoint. Larger trucks carrying heavy loads are allegedly robbed of even more. ”There are around 17 to 18 police naka points across Meghalaya on the highway. We have to pay at two or three checkpoints at least. By the end of a trip, we spend between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 in illegal payments alone—money that is never recorded, never receipted, purely stolen by police personnel,” another driver claimed.
The truckers exposed a rotten system: no receipts are issued, and police personnel are more interested in filling their pockets than verifying permits or vehicle documents.
“They are not bothered in checking the papers. Their only concern is collecting money. If we refuse to pay, they threaten us and sometimes seize items from our trucks like bandits,” a driver alleged.
Some truckers claimed they were subjected to intimidation, harassment, and even physical assault.
“If we question them about the payments, they become aggressive and may even assault us. They target drivers from outside the state because they know we are vulnerable—it’s state-sponsored bullying,” one trucker said.
A driver transporting tea from Assam’s Silchar district delivered the most scathing accusation: “We are being taxed by police personnel despite having proper documents. The worst experience is at Mawryngkneng. They sometimes demand between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000 from a single truck. This is nothing but corruption.”
The drivers said rising fuel prices and increasing operational costs have made the situation even more unbearable. “Diesel prices have gone up and so have the prices of essential commodities. We are struggling to support our families. These illegal collections are making our work unbearable,” a trucker said.
The truckers have now directly appealed to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, accusing his administration of allowing this corruption to flourish: “We are poor people trying to earn a living. If this continues, truck operators may prefer routes through other states where such harassment does not exist—Meghalaya is killing its own economy with police greed.”
The question now stands: Is this policing—or is this organised extortion under the guise of law enforcement?
