Shillong, Nov 11: Family members, friends, and supporters gathered outside the district jail on Tuesday awaiting the release of four leaders of the Meghalaya Commercial Truck Owners and Drivers Association (MCTODA) who were granted bail earlier in the day.
The First Class Judicial Magistrate granted bail to Mosklandar Marngar, president of MCTODA, along with Heibor Pariat, Teibor Marngar, and Thrangbor Lyngdoh, who were arrested in connection with the recent protests over transportation rates for cement and clinker.
The court approved their release on standard conditions, including cooperation with the ongoing investigation, non-interference with evidence, and restrictions on leaving the station without prior permission. Each was required to furnish a bail bond of Rs 20,000 with two sureties.
The four were detained following a series of demonstrations by truck owners and drivers demanding a revision of freight charges for cement and clinker transportation in the state. The agitation, spearheaded by MCTODA, had disrupted the movement of goods to several cement plants in the region, prompting the authorities to intervene.
Their arrest sparked widespread solidarity from the transport community, which has been pressing for fair rates and improved working conditions. Tuesday’s bail order brought a sense of relief among their supporters, who had been camping outside the jail since morning to welcome the leaders’ release.
