It was a major cause of embarrassment for the Meghalaya Police when Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) members barged into a police station and assaulted a sub-inspector and a head constable.
According to reports, Ferdynald Kharkamni, president of Ri-Bhoi unit of KSU, at around 2 am on October 15, led a group of 25 to 30 boys, and barged into Umiam police station.
The group entered the station demanding the release of a local Khasi boy who was picked up by the police after he assaulted one Amir Ali- a pickup van driver from Barbhag in Barpeta- in Sumer village in Ri Bhoi district.
A group of local boys had beaten Amir Ali while he was having food at a shop in Sumer.
Within half-an-hour after being taken to the Umiam Police Station, Ferdynald Kharkamni led a group of youths and started hurling verbal abuses on the police personnel for picking up the local youth.
When the police personnel tried to pacify the KSU members, Ferdynald Kharkamni, threw files kept on the tables and slapped the officer-in-charge, sub-inspector L. Syngkon.
As head-constable B. Bordoloi entered the room at that moment, the KSU leader showered punches on his face as well.
After assaulting the two police personnel, Ferdynald Kharkamni and his gang of boys forcefully got the local boy released from the police station.
Bordoloi, who originally hails from Assam, suffered injuries and he was later rushed to a hospital in Umsning for treatment.
Later, Bordoloi registered an FIR in Umiam Police Station and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits for assaulting police personnel in uniform.
In India, it is a crime to assault police personnel on duty.
C. Cyrti, superintendent of police of Ri-Bhoi district, acting on the FIR, submitted a detailed report to the DIG (Eastern Range) of Meghalaya Police.
When contacted, Cyrti told Northeast Now on Monday that search is on for Ferdynald Kharkamni and his associates for assaulting on-duty policemen.
“He (Ferdynald Kharkamni) is absconding and we hope to arrest him soon,” the superintendent of police said.
Ferdynald Kharkamni was arrested on May 27, 2017, for carrying out attacks on railway project site at Ringbone in Byrnihat, Ri Bhoi district.
After four months of judicial custody, Ferdynald Kharkamni was released on bail.