An official vehicle belonging to the Directorate of Water Resources was gutted after miscreants threw a petrol bomb on it today evening.
According to reports, the Bolero vehicle (ML01-A-0175) was parked near the entrance to the office of the Directorate of Water Resources located at Fruit Garden, Risa Colony here.
Suddenly at around 8:30 pm, the vehicle caught fire. It was suspected that miscreants hurled a petrol bomb inside the vehicle.
The vehicle was allotted to the Deputy Chief Engineer of the Directorate of Water Resources.
The official including the driver of the vehicle were in the office when the incident took place, reports said.
In another incident, unidentified miscreants lobbed a petrol bomb at the camp of the CRPF at Jingkieng Mawlai here yesterday night. However, the petrol bomb which fell in the ground failed to cause any damage to the CRPF camp.
Shillong has seen a wave of petrol bomb attacks against government vehicles, offices and police stations.
This is the sixth such incident, with five previous firebombing targeting Sadar and Rynjah police stations, a government office in Kench’s Trace, a NEEPCO official’s car in Nongthymmai and the home of Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar in Nongmensong.
Police suspected the attacks to be linked to the arrest of a number of KSU members in connection with the recent killings of three non-tribal labourers – two at Ichamati and one at Mawlai Mawroh.
However, it is unclear who is responsible for the fiery attacks as police have not made a single arrest yet. What the arsonists have been able to demonstrate, though, is that they can strike almost anywhere in Shillong with near impunity.
The State government has directed all department heads to keep their offices and vehicles under safe custody in view of the rising cases of arson attacks.
