East Jaiñtia Hills police have arrested the driver of a truck owned by Star Cement after he surrendered himself at the Ummulong police station in West Jaintia Hills district on Tuesday.
The truck driver, Sailangmi Dkhar was accused of running over a pickup truck driver identified as Sniawbha Suchiang that sparked a violent outbreak at the Star Cement premises on Sunday.
East Jaintia Hills police in an official statement said the accused truck driver has been arrested and has been remanded to judicial custody and necessary legal action has been initiated as per the relevant provisions of law.
It may be mentioned that on May 18, the truck and the pick-up truck were involved in an accident in Wahiajer along the NH 6 that killed a local youth. Police had said that the Star Cement truck driver who had fled the scene after the collision was pursued by the pick-up truck. Once at the Star Cement premises, the pick-up driver reportedly climbed onto the truck and assaulted the driver. In an attempt to flee, the truck accidentally ran over the pick-up driver killing him on the spot.
Following the incident, chaos erupted as approximately 300 individuals armed with daos and other weapons landed at the premises. The mob torched 15 trucks and damaged 25 of them.
