Imphal: Curfew continued in parts of Shillong for the second day on Saturday after a night-long violence during which a mob torched a shop, a house and damaged at least five vehicles besides injuring a senior police officer.
Superintendent of Police (City) Stephan Rynjah sustained injuries after he was hit by a rod and has been admitted to the Shillong Civil Hospital, a senior police officer on duty said. At least 10 people, including policemen, have been injured in the violence, which has triggered demands that the government take action against alleged illegal settlers in the area. State police personnel were attacked by stone pelters in the restive Motphran area of the city.
Teargas shells were used to disperse rioters but people in other parts mistook it for police firing, the officer said. The clashes had begun after a bus handyman was allegedly assaulted by a group of residents of Them Metor area on Thursday afternoon. Trouble escalated when rumours spread on social media that the handyman had succumbed to injuries, prompting a group of bus drivers to converge at Them Metor. The police had to fire teargas shells to disperse them, officials said.
The handyman and three injured persons were taken to a hospital where they were released after being administered first aid. The East Khasi Hills district authorities had imposed night curfew in the entire city from 10 pm till 5 am to maintain peace and prevent arson, they said.
One person, accused of being involved in the assault of three local boys, has been arrested and the police are looking for his accomplices, they said. Internet services continued to remain suspended to prevent spreading of rumours. The state government will review the decision later on Saturday.
The curfew, which was imposed since 4 am yesterday in at least 14 localities under Lumdiengjri police station and Cantonment Beat House, continues, District deputy commissioner P S Dkhar told PTI. He said that there was no curfew in Police Bazaar and Iew Duh (Bara Bazaar) areas even as shops, schools and banks in these areas remained closed.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, who chaired a high-level meeting on Friday, had appealed for calm and urged the people to help bring back normalcy in Shillong.
Sangma also called up his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh to assure him of the safety of people from the northern state and their religious institutions following communal clashes.
Sangma called up Amarinder last night to apprise him of the situation in the state in the wake of communal violence triggered by a minor incident and to allay any apprehensions of the people from Punjab being under attack.
Amid rumours, Sangma also assured Amarinder Singh that there was no damage to any religious place or other institutions belonging to the people from Punjab in Meghalaya.
Singh expressed concern over the development and hoped the situation would not escalate further, an official spokesman said here.
The Meghalayan chief minister said he was personally monitoring the situation to ensure that there is no further trouble or incident that could trigger fresh tensions.
Such incidents had the potential of causing communal divisions that did not augur well for the country, Amarinder Singh added.
Sangma assured Amarinder Singh that the situation was now under control, with the Army on standby to avert any fresh outbreak of trouble.
He further assured the Punjab chief minister that his government was committed to ensuring the safety and security of all communities in the state and would take all possible steps to avert any further trouble.
Amarinder requested his Meghalayan counterpart to keep him informed of the situation and extended any help needed to defuse the tension.