Shillong, Oct 5: North Shillong MLA Adelbert Nongrum today submitted a memorandum and dossier to the state government, demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the midnight raid in Jaiaw on August 19.
The raid was carried out to arrest high-ranking Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) members at their headquarters in Jaiaw hours after a rally conducted by the pressure group descended into wanton violence targetting non-Khasis.
The memo is based on representations filed by the Seng Samla Jaiaw Pyllun, whose members were present during the police raid. The youth body said the unannounced midnight operation caused panic, distress and breathing difficulties among residents and condemned firing of about 15 rounds of tear gas indiscriminately in a dense residential area adjacent to H Gordon Roberts Hospital, endangering patient wards.
Nongrum said community coordination frameworks were bypassed. “Heavily armed men entered our neighborhood at midnight, completely masked, lacking visible nameplates, and refusing to produce any statutory search orders or legal notices. This has left our residents shocked and deeply traumatised,” he said.
He alleged video evidence shows uniformed personnel using offensive hand gestures and profanities and physically charged local youth.
The legal brief accompanying the dossier cites violations under Sections 55, 108 and 109 of the Meghalaya Police Act 2010, relating to public decorum, disclosure mandates, unlawful midnight entry, personal violence and dereliction of duty, which carry up to six months imprisonment. It also cites contempt of Supreme Court directives.
The dossier further recalled the 2018 Them Iewmawlong incident under North Shillong constituency, where tear gas and metal projectiles were allegedly fired indiscriminately, leaving several Khasi youths with permanent injuries including loss of noses, loss of body parts due to shell explosions, pellet injuries and broken bones, without compensation or rehabilitation.
Nongrum said a departmental inquiry or police SIT is insufficient when the integrity of the law enforcement machinery itself is under question and demanded an independent CBI probe, compensation for victims and action against errant personnel under the Meghalaya Police Act.
