Meghalaya to compensate Assam vehicles damaged in Shillong violence

The Meghalaya government has assured compensation for Assam-registered vehicles damaged during the violence in Shillong on August 19 and said it will bear the medical expenses of those injured in the incident.

The assurance was given during a joint meeting between the governments of Meghalaya and Assam on August 22 to review the situation following the violence during a Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) bike rally.

Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister S Dhar and Assam minister Atul Bora led the meeting, which was attended by senior officials from both states.

At least 31 vehicles were damaged, 16 people were injured, and two vehicles were set on fire during the violence, according to East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem.

The Meghalaya government expressed regret over the incident and assured that those responsible would face action. It said 15 FIRs have been registered so far and five masked individuals allegedly involved in attacks on Assam-registered vehicles have been identified.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been formed to identify others involved in the violence and ensure their prosecution.

Three senior KSU leaders — president Raymond Kharjana, vice-president Pynkmenlang Sanmiet and general secretary Reuben Najiar — have been arrested in connection with the violence.

The Meghalaya government also said it would take responsibility for the safety and security of tourists and vehicles from Assam and other parts of the country travelling within the state.

More than 3,770 Assam-registered vehicles have so far been safely escorted out of Meghalaya following the violence.

The Assam Control Room received 54 distress calls involving 175 people, including those travelling in 22 private vehicles and five tourist vehicles. Meghalaya's control room received 379 distress calls.

Authorities said most stranded travellers and vehicles have crossed key transit points, including the Umiam Lake section. Around 400–500 vehicles that were earlier stranded in Meghalaya have also moved through the transit corridors.

The Meghalaya government assured that any passenger or vehicle still seeking to return to Assam would be safely escorted within the next 48 hours.

A dedicated coordination mechanism between senior police officials from Assam and Meghalaya will also be established, along with helplines and an online support system to assist stranded people.

The two states have further agreed to create district-level joint committees to address issues along the inter-state border and a separate committee involving transport officials and tourist vehicle associations to facilitate safer tourist movement between the states.