Shillong: Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from Shillong and its outskirts on Thursday night while vehicle movement from Assam to Meghalaya remained suspended for the third day on Thursday, in wake of the border firing incident that left six dead, police said.
Officials said that tourists stranded in Meghalaya are being escorted back to Assam.
A traffic police booth was set ablaze, a bus carrying security forces attacked, and a police Gypsy vehicle was vandalised in Shillong, a police official said. He said that a petrol bomb was hurdled on police personnel who were diverting vehicles towards the road to Pine Mount.
A candlelight vigil was organised in Shillong where people vented their anger against the Assam Police and Meghalaya government.
Four civilians were assaulted and three women police personnel manhandled and received minor injuries. One of the injured civilians was admitted to a city hospital.
Police had to fire tear gas shells to drive away the violent crowd from coming towards Barik Point.
Shops along Guwahati-Shillong road and Khyndailad (Police Bazar) Aareas in the city have shut down in view of a sit-in demonstration organised by the five pressure groups in solidarity with the victims of Mukroh village.
Thursday’s sporadic violence in Shillong and its outskirts are the offshoot of the Tuesday’s firing by the Assam Police that left five civilians of Meghalaya and an Assam forest guard dead in West Jaintia Hills district.
The Meghalaya government on Thursday extended the suspension of mobile internet and data services, ordered on Tuesday in 7 districts, till Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills district, in which Shillong falls, in a statement, in view of the rumours of shortage of petrol and diesel in the state leading to long queues at various petroleum outlets, clarified that there is no shortage of petrol or diesel in the district at present.
The concerns expressed by oil companies, distributors, and tanker drivers from outside the state are being addressed to ensure that petroleum supplies reach the district and the public do not suffer, the statement said.
–IANS
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