Correspondent
SHILLONG, SEP 8: The Meghalaya High Court has quashed an FIR against six students from Uttar Pradesh accused of vandalising a homestay in Shillong after the parties reached a mutual settlement and the students paid Rs 2.06 lakh as compensation to the property owner, an official said on Tuesday.
Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere passed the order on Monday after the homestay proprietor and manager gave their consent to the quashing of the case.
Under the settlement, the six students paid Rs 2.06 lakh to the proprietor as full and final compensation and submitted a sincere and unconditional apology for their conduct.
The Court directed two of the students to pay another Rs 25,000 each to the proprietor within a week and undertake six days of community service.
As part of the community service, the two students will spend three days from September 8 at the Sikh Centre Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Lachumiere, Shillong, from 10 am to 5 pm under the supervision of Dr Kamaljeet Singh.
They will also participate in Jiva Cares’ ‘Project Operation Clean-Up’, which carries out cleanliness initiatives, including work related to the Umkhrah river, as well as maintenance of flowers and bins across Shillong.
The other four students were exempted from community service in view of their ages.
Three of the accused are minors, one aged 15 and two aged 17, while another had recently turned 18.
The remaining two are in their 20s and are preparing for competitive examinations.
The court also directed that a report confirming the satisfactory completion of the community service be submitted through the public prosecutor concerned.
It may be recalled that an FIR had been registered at Laitumkhrah Police Station on July 11 following a complaint alleging that the six students had damaged the homestay and accused of threatening the complainant after additional guests were allegedly not permitted to stay in a room beyond the allowed capacity.
The students were later arrested in West Bengal on July 13 and were subsequently released on bail.
They later approached the High Court seeking quashing of the FIR. The court noted that the parties entered into a mutual settlement on August 17 following intervention by elders and well-wishers of the students.