What's happening in Meghalaya?

Ground Report | New Delhi: What's happening in Meghalaya; Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma has said that the situation is calm in the state now. In Meghalaya, violence and sabotage took place in the encounter of ex-militant in the last 72 hours. During the curfew on Tuesday, stones were pelted at the convoy of Governor Satya Pal Malik. Earlier, the CM residence in Upper Shillong was also attacked.

What's happening in Meghalaya?

This, as mobile internet services were suspended for 48 hours and curfew is said to have now been gradually eased in Shillong, which was imposed amid the unrest. On 15 August, hundreds of people attended the funeral of Chesterfield Thangkhiew, a former Hinwtrap National Liberation Council (HNLC) terrorist who was killed in a police encounter on Friday.

ALSO READ: 5 mistakes of America in Afghanistan

Apart from vandalism and violence across the city, two petrol bombs were hurled at Chief Minister Conrad Sangma's house. According to observers, anger does not necessarily indicate public sympathy for the extremist group. He says it is also a reaction to the way the government has worked in recent times.

What did the police say

Meghalaya Police says Thangkhu became active in the last six months after retiring in October 2018, mainly due to health issues. Police indicate his involvement in two low-intensity blasts in Khalihariyat and East Jaintia Hills in July and in Shillong's Laitumkhara market last week, in which two people were injured.

The police raided Chesterfield Thangkhiew's house at 2:00 pm on August 13, where they claimed that he had attacked the team with a knife in an attempt to escape. The police fired one round in private defence, injuring him. He died on the way to the hospital.

Family denied the police statement

The statement of Police does not match with the statements of Chesterfield Thangkhiew's two sons who were present during the raid. One of them, Diengdoh, said, "When they came without knocking, they threw me and my brother down on the ground, kicked and beat us, and covered our faces with blankets. The next thing I saw was Thi my father was lying dead on the ground. And I think he was still breathing. His body lay on the ground for about an hour after he was shot. They didn't take him to the hospital.

ALSO READ: Afghan girls going to school on first day under Taliban rule

Diengdoh questioned the timing of the raid, saying that they could have arrested his father during the day as he was always at home. Thangkhiew's family described the murder as a cold-blooded murder and locals accused the police of a fake encounter.

The pressure group condemned the fake encounter and called for Black Flag Day in Shillong. Home Minister Lakhmen Rimbui (United Democratic Party) has resigned and demanded a judicial inquiry to unravel the truth behind the encounter.

You can connect with Ground Report on Facebook, Twitter, and Whatsapp, and mail us at [email protected] to send us your suggestions and writeups.