Shillong, Mar 10: The Meghalaya High Court today heard a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking adequate security measures for non-tribal candidates who are filing their nominations for the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
The petition was filed by Bozlul Hoque and heard by a division bench of Chief Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Wanlura Diengdoh.
Senior counsel Kaustav Paul, who represented the petitioner, told the court that the petition is not to challenge the GHADC notification of February 17 that mandates all candidates to present a valid Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificate since the subject of a separate legal petition is pending before the single judge.
The division bench said it has not delved into the merits of the petition, leaving all contentions from both parties on the merits open for a discussion regarding the challenge.
The petition also seeks to consider changing the location for accepting nomination papers to their respective blocks due to emerging security concerns.
Paul told the court about violence that broke out in West Garo Hills when non-tribal candidates had gone to file their nomination forms. He said the incident has left three dead and several people injured.
In response to the concerns, advocate general Amit Kumar assured the court that the state will ensure that no untoward incident takes place in the area and that additional manpower will be deployed and that steps will be taken maintain law and order.
The matter will be heard on March 17, 2026.
