CBI to Probe Meghalaya-Assam Border Clash, Home Minister Shah Assures CM Sangma

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday assured that Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to conduct a CBI probe into the Meghalaya-Assam border clash in which six people were killed.

A cabinet delegation led by Sangma met Shah in New Delhi today to discuss the tense border situation between Assam and Meghalaya following clashes in Mukroh village and demand a federal probe into the violence.

“We have requested the Government of India to constitute a central agency inquiry into this incident. Union Home Minister has assured inquiry to be constituted under a central agency,” Sangma said after meeting Shah here as reported by ANI.

Sangma said the long-standing border dispute created an atmosphere which led to this incident.

During the meeting, the CM emphasised that the supply of essential commodities into Meghalaya should not be disrupted and the state should get full support from the neighbouring states. “Law and order has been maintained in the state. We are in touch with different stakeholders to ensure the safety of our people and that peace prevails,” he said.

The situation remained tense in Meghalaya as a police car was set on fire by protestors on Thursday in Shillong. According to locals on the ground, protestors torched a police car and later cops resorted to firing. Internet suspension has been extended to another 48 hours in the region.

Sangma will meet Human Rights Commission on this incident on Friday.

Experts say that as Meghalaya will go to polls next year, this incident has an underlying political tone which is preventing de-escalation of the situation on the ground. Sources say that Sangma and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma both are holding talks to de-escalate the situation.

Sangma and other senior state government officials had on Wednesday visited Mukroh, and handed over Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia payment to the next of kin of each of the five persons who were killed during the clashes.

Earlier, the Assam Cabinet announced that it will hand over the probe into the violence to the CBI and asked the state police to show restraint while dealing with civilian disturbances.

Six people, including three people from the Khasi community and a forest guard, were in a clash between police and villagers at the Assam-Meghalaya border after cops intercepted a truck transporting illegal timber in the early hours of Tuesday.

The Assam forest department team intercepted and stopped the truck at Mukru area carrying the illegal timber towards West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya around 3 am, West Karbi Anglong superintendent of police Imdad Ali told PTI.

When the truck tried to flee, the forest guards fired at it and punctured its tyre. The driver, a handyman and another person were apprehended, while others managed to escape. The forest guards informed the Zirikending police station and asked for reinforcements, he added.

When police reached there, a large number of people from Meghalaya armed with ‘dao’s (daggers) and other weapons gathered at the spot at around 5 am.

As the mob gheraoed the forest guards and the police, demanding the immediate release of those arrested, the officers fired at them to bring the situation under control.

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