MHA deploys five companies of CAPF
Correspondent
SHILLONG, AUG 20: District and Sessions Court in Shillong on Thursday remanded three top Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) leaders to 14-day judicial custody in connection with alleged violence and vandalism during a black-flag bike rally organised by the student body in Meghalaya capital on Wednesday.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has rushed four companies of Central Reserve Police Force and one company of Rapid Action Force (RAF) to assist the Meghalaya Police in maintaining law and order in the state capital following the violence.
KSU President Raymond Kharjana, Vice-President Pynkmenlang Sanmiet and General Secretary Reuben Najiar were arrested late Wednesday night from KSU central headquarters at Jaiaw chapel.
“All three of them were produced before the District and Sessions Court and the court remanded them to 14 days judicial custody,” Vivek Syiem, the district police chief of East Khasi Hills district, said.
KSU leaders were arresting followed widespread of vandalism during the rally, including alleged damage to statues of Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Police said the KSU activists allegedly pelted vehicles with stones, damaged cars from outside the state, set a government vehicle ablaze and assaulted pedestrians at multiple locations across Shillong.
At least, 31 government and private vehicles damaged, 16 people assaulted during the rally.
A vehicle of State Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui, BJP MLA Alexander Laloo Hek and two vehicles of Meghalaya High Court were also damaged. Two vehicles, including one government and one private vehicle bearing registration numbers from outside Meghalaya, were also set ablaze during the rally.
Syiem said the three leaders have been booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including sections related to damage to public property, causing hurt and unlawful assembly and provisions of the Meghalaya Maintenance of Public Order Act.
Speaking to reporters after being produced before the Court, KSU General Secretary Rueben Najiar alleged that the government’s decision to arrest the KSU leaders was an attempt to stifle the ongoing movement.
However, he said that the students’ union remains resolute in pursuing its objectives.
On Wednesday night, the KSU leadership had denied any involvement of its members in the violence, alleging that some miscreants were behind it to sabotage the agitation.
Meghalaya HC takes suo motu PIL on KSU rally violence: The Meghalaya High Court on Thursday directed authorities to take swift and stringent action to arrest those involved in the violence during the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) black-flag bike rally in Shillong on Wednesday.
Taking suo motu PIL on the caused during the rally, a division bench comprising Justice Hamarsan Singh Thangkhiew and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh noted the safety of citizens, including school-going children, was endangered.
“This Sou Moto PIL has been taken up in view of the unfortunate incidents that occurred on 19.08.2026, in a public procession by an NGO, wherein extensive damage to public property has been caused including government vehicles, out station vehicles, public transport vehicles and has endangered common citizens including school going children, apart from statues of National Heroes being desecrated,” the bench said.
Advocate General Amit Kumar submitted that authorities have taken steps and some office bearers of the KSU have been arrested.
The court noted that “more intensive steps need to be taken by the authorities immediately to apprehend the perpetrators of these incidents and bring them to book.”
Meghalaya tourism stakeholders condemn rally violence: Various tourism stakeholders in Meghalaya on Thursday strongly condemned the violence and vandalism during a Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) bike rally, where vehicles from outside the state, including tourist taxis and buses, and pedestrians were allegedly attacked.
In a joint press statement, the Tour Operators Association of Meghalaya (TOAM), Meghalaya Rural Tourism Forum (MRTF), Tour Guides Association of Meghalaya (TGAM), Federation of Shillong Hotels (FOSH), Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF) and Meghalaya Rural Tourism Cooperative Federation Ltd (MRTCFL), expressed deep concern over the incidents.
“We fully respect the democratic right of individuals and organisations to express their grievances. However, protests must remain peaceful and must not be exploited by anti-social elements to create fear, violence or damage to public property,” the statement said.