Shillong, June 6: Three government vehicles and a tourist taxi were set ablaze in a series of suspected arson incidents across different parts of Shillong in the early hours of Saturday, prompting police to launch an investigation into the incidents caused by unidentified miscreants.
The attacks targeted vehicles belonging to key government agencies, including the police, Health Department and NEEPCO, besides a tourist taxi, and occurred at multiple locations across the city within a short span of time. According to East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem, the vehicles damaged in the incidents included “1 police, 1 Health Dept, 1 NEEPCO and 1 tourist taxi.” The incidents took place “At about 3am to 4am in the morning.”
Asked whether any arrests had been made, Syiem said, “We are investigating.”
Police said some miscreants resorted to arson on a police vehicle (ML02 5516), an old-model Thar, parked at the Kench’s Trace Beat House at around 3 a.m. The vehicle’s hood and seat were burnt, but the fire was quickly doused before it could cause extensive damage.
Around the same time, a Health Department vehicle, an Innova bearing registration number ML05W3399, parked near Synod College at Lumdiengjri, was partially damaged after being set on fire. In another incident, an SX4 vehicle (ML05 F6060) belonging to NEEPCO and parked along the roadside at Mawlai Phudmuri was also partially burnt, with damage reported to the interior of the vehicle.
A tourist taxi was also among the vehicles targeted in the multiple incidents.
