Does the Meghalaya Home Minister dare to take the bull by its horn?

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 24, 2019

SHILLONG: It has been a week since a student leader punched a head constable not once but thrice inside the police station located along the National Highway connected the state with the rest of the country but till date the police department has not been able to arrest him raising eyebrow on the capability and performance of the elite Meghalaya Police force.

This incident happened in Umiam Police Station under Ri Bhoi District where Khasi Students Union (KSU) North Khasi Hills District President Ferdynald Kharkamni punched Head Constable of Umiam Police Station B Bordoloi and also assaulted the Officer in Charge Sub Inspector L Syngkon on October 15th last.

According to an FIR filed by Bordoloi, on the said date at around 12.15 am while he and other personnel were on patrolling duty in ICAR area received telephonic information from his Officer in Charge that there was some trouble in Sumer area falling under the jurisdiction of Umiam Police Station to return to Police Station and picked him as they have to rushed to the spot.

On reaching Sumer village, the head constable informed they found out that one non tribal person identified as Amir Ali was assaulted by some local people in front of the shop of Philingstar Kurbah and the suspect who assaulted Ali and Ali were taken to Umiam Police Station

Bordoloi wrote in his FIR that in the meantime, Kharkamni came to the Police Station and punched him thrice without any rhyme and reason in front of the Officer-in-Charge causing injury to him.

He also expressed grave concern that the KSU President assaulted despite when he is in full uniform executing his duty and threatened him with dire consequence and obstructed him in executing his duty properly.

“I would like to request you to take strict action against the person for showing his power as an NGO for obstructing police personnel to perform their duty,” Bordoloi pleaded in his FIR while demanding justice from his superior.

The Officer-in- Charge of Umiam PS received the FIR vide General Diary Entry No. 04 Dated 15/10/2019 at 11.15 am and registered vide Umiam PS Case No 87 (10) 2019 under section 190/341/323/353/506 IPC and entrusted Sub Inspector K Kharpran to complete the investigation of the case.

According to the CCTV footage, it was seen that Bordoloi was standing behind the seat of Kharkamni and other KSU members and suddenly Kharkamni stood up and punched Bordoloi thrice and this time the police did not provoke them but merely doing their lawful duty.

It was learnt that the suspect picked up by the police along with Ali was the Finance Secretary of KSU North Khasi Hills District and this probably angered the President of KSU North Khasi Hills to the verge of assaulting two police personnel.

Condemning the incident, a retired police officer said that he hung his head in shame as such an incident happened inside the four wall of the police station if this could happen to a police man how safe is the common man.

The incident is perhaps the first one in the state of Meghalaya and this send shockwave amongst police men of all ranks and files and the million dollar question arise is will the Home Minister to take the bull by its horn and order the immediate arrest of the President of KSU North Khasi Hills at the earliest and ensure exemplary punishment for taking law into his own hands.