Following unrest over the death of a former rebel commander, petrol bombs were hurled at Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma‘s house, culminating in a two-day curfew in Shillong. Following allegations of vandalism and arson, mobile internet connections have been suspended in many state regions.
The house was empty at the time of the occurrence; therefore, no one was harmed. The Chief Minister lives in the upper Shillong region at his official home. In Shillong, an Assamese car was also assaulted, badly wounding the driver. Stone pelting has also been recorded in several sections of the city. According to a top police officer, people from Assam have been warned not to come to Shillong until the curfew is lifted. “Due to law-and-order concerns, a curfew has been enforced in Shillong. Assamese citizens are urged not to travel to Shillong till the curfew is lifted “GP Singh, Assam Police’s special DGP, stated in a tweet.
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After the killing of the former rebel commander, whose family has described his death as a “cold-blooded murder by the police,” there has been an unsettling stillness in sections of Shillong. On Sunday, hundreds of people dressed in black and carrying black flags marched in Thangkhiew’s funeral procession. Several people were spotted waving black flags in Shillong’s streets, denouncing the police and the state administration for Thangkhiew’s killing. Many others were also spotted waving banners on the terraces of their homes. This afternoon, unidentified individuals set fire to a police car from the Mawkynroh Police Outpost in the Shillong’s Jaiaw neighborhood. The officers on board the vehicle, including the outpost’s commanding officer, were unharmed.
According to accounts, the guys stole the car, loaded it with police firearms, and drove it about before lighting it on fire. According to the administration, the curfew in Shillong would be in effect until 5 a.m. on Tuesday. On Saturday, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that the state government would conduct a magisterial investigation into the murder of Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council‘s former head. The police opened fire on Thangkhiew after he attempted to flee by attacking them with a knife. On Thursday night, his residence was raided based on information that he was engaged in a bomb in Laitumkhrah.
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