Shillong rally violence: Three KSU leaders sent to 14 days' judicial custody

Three leaders of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), arrested following violence during a black-flag bike rally in Shillong, were on August 20 remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody by the District and Sessions Judge, Shillong.

KSU president Raymond Kharjana, vice-president Pynkmenlang Sanmiet and general secretary Reuben Najiar were arrested late on Wednesday night and taken to Sadar police station. They were produced before the court on Thursday morning.

The arrests followed clashes, stone-pelting and vandalism reported at several locations across Shillong during the KSU rally. Police said at least 31 vehicles were damaged, while several people were allegedly assaulted and injured. Vehicles registered outside Meghalaya were also targeted, and a government vehicle was set on fire.

Police sources said the three leaders have been booked under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in connection with alleged damage to public property, assaults and other offences.

The KSU had organised the rally to protest what it described as the Meghalaya government's failure to act on a five-point charter of demands submitted to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on August 4. The union had given the government a 15-day deadline to respond.

Among its demands are implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act and legislation regulating migrant workers, reforms in government recruitment, and action over recruitment-related concerns at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS).

The union has also demanded the cancellation of the July 31 public hearing for the proposed Shree Cement project in East Jaintia Hills and action against officials over alleged excessive use of force during the hearing. It has further renewed its demand for implementation of the Inner Line Permit system in Meghalaya.

The rally, however, descended into violence during the day, with reports of stone-pelting, assaults and damage to vehicles from multiple parts of the city. Police said the incidents violated the conditions under which permission for the rally had been granted and warned of strict action.

KSU leaders later expressed regret over the violence but claimed that unidentified miscreants had infiltrated the rally with the intention of damaging property, discrediting the organisation and disrupting its movement.

Later on Wednesday night, police also raided the KSU office in Jaiaw. Tear gas was reportedly used during the operation.

The arrests of the union's top leadership have sharply escalated tensions following the rally, with police investigations continuing into the violence and damage reported across Shillong.