Shillong, Sep 11: The Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) has filed a counter-FIR against officials of Riangdo Veneer Pvt Ltd for allegedly offering bribe, threatening them and filing a false case.
Earlier, the company lodged a complaint that its three officials—Factor In-Charge Pralay Kumar Jana, Director Gautam Bora and Area Sales Manager Casper Tariang—were assaulted when they went for a meeting fixed over telephone near Rani Motors, opposite Abigail Petrol Pump at Mawblei on September 3.
The company said Jana and Bora were allowed inside the meeting room at around 4:30 pm while Tariang waited outside with two people and one Lambert Mawlong. They were asked to hand over mobile phones and shown a list of requirements. When they said they needed to consult management, they were allegedly physically assaulted. Tariang was also allegedly kicked on his back after coming out.
The accused were Lambert Mawlong, unidentified HITO member and others associated with HITO.
In the counter complaint filed at Madanriting Police Station today, HITO said on March 18, its members visited Umiam Industrial Area to check employment opportunities for local youth and found irregular activities by Riangdo Veneer, which allegedly installed and operated machinery on MePDCL land without permission and irregularities concerning timber including absence of mandatory hammer marks. Matter was reported to authorities and pending before MePDCL and the Deputy Commissioner, Ri-Bhoi.
Subsequently, Casper Tariang repeatedly sought a meeting with HITO. After persistent appeals for four months, HITO agreed to meet at Mawblei near Rani Motors to discuss five-point terms – employment priority, work hour regulation, verification of outside labourers, environment clearances and wage compliances.
HITO alleged that during the meeting, the company representatives offered substantial sums to stop raising complaints, which they rejected. When bribes failed, they resorted to criminal intimidation, boasting HITO and government officials could be “managed” as the company owner is MLA in West Bengal.
HITO said their conduct was a calculated attempt to provoke and frame them and when efforts failed, they filed a false FIR with baseless allegations.
HITO has urged police to register FIR for bribery, criminal intimidation, fabrication of false evidence and malicious prosecution, and conduct fair investigation into false FIR and verify MePDCL and DC records on illegal operations and land use by the company.
