Meghalaya court grants KSU leader Reuben Najiar 14-day interim bail after father’s death
A Shillong sessions court granted KSU general secretary Reuben Najiar 14 days’ interim bail after his father’s death. He must surrender on October 1 as police continue investigating the August 19 rally violence cases.
- Sep 18, 2026,
- Updated Sep 18, 2026, 9:43 AM IST
Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) general secretary Reuben Najiar was granted 14 days’ interim bail by a sessions court in Shillong on September 17 following the death of his father.
Najiar, who is currently in judicial custody, will remain out on interim bail until October 1, when he has been directed to surrender before the court.
He was arrested on August 19 along with KSU president Raymond Kharjana and vice-president Pynkmenlang Sanmiet following violence during a KSU-sponsored black-flag bike rally in Shillong. The rally was marred by stone-pelting and incidents of vandalism.
The three accused have been produced before the court on several occasions as police continued investigations into cases registered at different police stations. Additional charges were subsequently brought in connection with cases registered at Sadar and Mawlai police stations, followed by a case at Rynjah.
Three other KSU leaders — Jeremiah Pohthmi, Samuel Kharbani and Banjop Dkhar — have also been arrested in connection with the violence, taking the number of KSU leaders arrested in the cases to six.
The latest arrest before Najiar’s bail was that of the KSU Shillong East Circle president, who was taken into custody by a Special Investigation Team near NEIGRIHMS on September 11. He was produced before a local court the following day.
The August 19 rally had been granted permission by the East Khasi Hills district administration. Police subsequently registered cases over the violence and damage reported during the event.