The chargesheet against four members of the outlawed Hynñiewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) will not disrupt the peace talks that are underway, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma assured today.
Yesterday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed chargesheets against four HNLC members over the December 2020 improvised explosive device (IED) blast on a Star Cement property in East Jaiñtia Hills.
Two workers were slightly injured in the attack on the company’s colony in Lumshnong, which occurred after the company refused to pay extortion money, what the outlawed militant group described as “tax”. The four individuals charged are Marius Rynjah, Bobby Marwein, Sainkupar Nongtraw and Emmanuel Suchen.
Talking to reporters, the CM stated that formal talks with the banned outfit will begin soon.
He added that the peace talk will continue and assured that the Government will impress upon the Ministry of Home Affairs that the charge-sheet does not hinder the peace talks with the outfit.
Further, he added that the investigations are carried out by an independent agency of the MHA and they are directly or indirectly involved with the peace talk, so the case against the HNLC members should not affect the peace talks.
Three senior members accompanied by two of their so-called personal security officers were given safe passage by the government to attend the talks. None of these were named in the chargesheet.
“Let me give assurance that we will ensure that there is no kind of hurdle or any kind of interference or any kind of problem because of these investigations. These are independent investigations by an independent agency that are going on, so this will not and should not affect the peace talks,” Sangma said.
