Shillong, Sep 21: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has served a legal notice on SP (Shillong) Dangsan Khyriem and SP (Traffic) Hari Prasant M.R over alleged statements to the press linking two accused in the September 18 incident near Samkhamti Petrol Pump, Urkaliar, to the union.
According to the notice, on the afternoon of September 18, a police naka checking was being conducted when two persons travelling on a scooty allegedly attempted to pass through the checkpoint and subsequently collided with the Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Lovish Garg, resulting in injuries.
The two persons were intercepted, the vehicle seized and produced before court. KSU, however, objected to subsequent media statements linking them to the union.
“The Union maintains that such statements were made without credible or admissible material establishing that the two accused persons were members or associates of the KSU,” the notice states.
It adds that “criminal liability must be determined on the basis of evidence and due process, and an organisation should not be publicly associated with alleged criminal conduct merely on the basis of suspicion or unverified information.”
KSU contended that linking the accused to the union has caused reputational harm to the organisation and its members and has the potential to create public misunderstanding regarding the union’s activities and members.
Through its advocate, KSU has demanded a formal retraction and public apology through media platforms and to cease and desist from making any further false, unverified or derogatory statements against the union, its members or its management within 15 days, failing which it will pursue civil and criminal proceedings as per law.
