Shillong, Sep 8: The Meghalaya government has issued a strong warning against impersonation and misuse of authority after police arrested a man pretending to be a law enforcement officer along with several associates near the Secretariat last week.
Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home (Police), Prestone Tynsong, said today that the government would not tolerate such behaviour under any circumstances. He stressed that the practice of using tinted glasses and sirens without authorisation would be strictly checked and exemptions would apply only to those officially permitted.
Tynsong admitted that some people had been misusing influence and power but assured that the government was determined to end the practice. He informed that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are being finalised, with instructions already given to the Director General of Police to complete it. The Home Department, he said, would carefully review who truly requires special permissions, while others would face strict action.
Police had spotted luxury vehicles parked outside the Secretariat and arrested Mebanshem Snaitang along with about a dozen of his aides, who were posing as security personnel. During the search, police recovered magazine pouches, air guns and air pistols, preventing what authorities described as a possible security breach in one of the state’s most sensitive zones.
Some news reports have linked Snaitang to powerful figures in the government, saying he was a frequent face in the Secretariat. This has not been confirmed.
