Shillong, Jul 13: Meghalaya police were able to track down and arrest six suspects believed to be involved in the wanton carnage unleashed on an Airbnb property in Shillong’s Risa Colony.
Three men and three teenaged minors were arrested in West Bengal but were immediately bailed.
A video of the destruction left in the suspects’ wake was shared by the property owner and went viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage and calls for action. The visuals showed rooms left in disarray, holes punched into walls, vomit in a flowerpot, etc.
The state police received an FIR on July 11 and registered a case.
Speaking to reporters today, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said a police team was sent the very next day to trace the people involved.
Three adult suspects were identified as Vikash Singh, Avinash Singh and Akhand Singh. The minors cannot be named for legal reasons. Meghalaya police coordinated with their counterparts in Assam’s Kokrajhar and Alipurduar, which is on the West Bengal-Assam border.
The suspects were intercepted by Alipurduar police and a team from Shillong “went there, arrested them and produced them before the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court,” Syiem said. “Since the offences are punishable with less than 7 years’ imprisonment, they were granted bail. The investigation is continuing.”
The case has been registered under Sections 351(3), 324(3) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
