Police : Social media created misinformation on lathicharge

From Staff Correspondent

Shillong, May 30: The East Khasi Hills police today said that there are attempts to spread misinformation through the social media among the public on the lathi-charge incident on Friday with a design to bring about a breakdown of law and order.

 In a statement issued here today East Khasi Hills SP, Mariahom Kharkrang warned that police can take legal action for spreading such misinformation.

 Clarifying on the lathi-charge incident, Kharkrang said that on Friday soon after the public meeting called by the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) ended, a section of the crowd who attended the meeting came out in a procession which was against the condition.

 According to the SP, on reaching Civil Hospital point, they wanted to forcibly move to ‘U Kiang Nongbah’ statue site and women police in front tried to block them.

 The crowd, however, tried to break the cordon by assaulting the woman personnel and officers who were in the front line which compelled police to resort to mild lathi-charge.

 “The reason for the number of women being injured was due to the fact that the male HYC volunteers used the female volunteers in front to act as their shield,” the SP alleged.

 Kharkrang said that the HYC had called for a shutdown of colleges and schools on the day of the public meeting so that the children can be taken to the rally. The SP said that their aim was to put the school children in front, so that police will not be able to react and eble them to break the Section 144 Cr PC prohibitory order.

 However, the SP said that this was thwarted when police officers visited all schools and colleges on May 28 instructing all the institutions not to send their children and schools and colleges should function normally as no permission was granted for the rally.

 Meanwhile, police have arrested those who instigated the crowd. They have been identified as Banisha Nongsiej (21) of Mawlai, Umjaiur Block-III, Barisha L Mawphlang (38) of Lumshyiap Golflink, Shillong, Caroline Nongrum (37) of Mawlai Mawiong, Banisha L. Nongrang (38) of Mawlai, Nongpdeng, Aisuk Dirborn (35) of Nongrah, Rynjah, Shillong, Kerdalin Biam (33) of Mawlai Mawiong, Shillong and one male Ialam Shympliang (32) of Upper Shillong Lumpdeng.

 On Friday, four of the arrested were admitted in Civil Hospital and three were forwarded to the court today and remanded to 12 days judicial custody.

 Further, police also said that the HYC was not granted permission by the District Administration to hold a public rally at the ‘Kiang Nongbah’ Statue site near Civil Hospital as the venue was just a few metres from the Civil Hospital which is a ‘N0 Noise’ zone.

 The SP also said that there is no space in the area for holding a big public rally and all traffic will be affected which will have a rippling effect in the whole city being the main artery of the city.

 Kharkrang informed that on May 28 a day prior to the public meeting, the District Administration had clamped Sec 144 CrPC prohibiting any meeting within 500 metres of Civil Hospital for the interest of all public.

 On the same day, a meeting was held between the District Administration and HYC members where it was made clear to them that they should comply with the order but on their insistence for a rally near proposed venue, ultimately they were allowed at Laban Sports Club ground with a number of conditions mainly that meeting should be over by 3.00 pm and that no procession should be taken out after the meeting.