Police on Wednesday night arrested three senior leaders of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) in connection with the violence during the organisation’s black-flag bike rally in Shillong. The arrests were made around midnight.
Those arrested are KSU President Raymond Kharjana, General Secretary Reuben Najiar and Vice-President Pynkmenlang Sanmiet. Police said the three have been booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including those relating to damage to public property, causing hurt and unlawful assembly. They were subsequently taken to Sadar Police Station for questioning.
The arrests came hours after the KSU leaders addressed the media, apologised for the violence while defending the rally.
Police said the rally resulted in damage to 31 vehicles and injuries to several people. Protesters allegedly pelted stones at vehicles, damaged cars from outside the State, set fire to a government vehicle and assaulted pedestrians at different locations in Shillong.
The KSU leadership had earlier claimed that the violence may have been caused by “negative elements” who joined the rally with the intention of diverting the agitation and tarnishing the Union’s reputation.
Around midnight, a police team, including personnel of the Special Force 10 (SF-10), cordoned off the KSU office at Jaiaw Pdeng and launched a search operation.
A heavy contingent of police personnel, including SF-10 commandos, surrounded the office during the late-night operation to detain those present inside the premises. The police action triggered protests in the locality, with a large number of residents taking to the streets and attempting to prevent the security forces from carrying out the operation.
As the situation escalated, police fired tear-gas shells to disperse the crowd and prevent it from advancing towards the security personnel.
Midnight Crackdown: KSU President, General Secretary, Vice-President Arrested
