Guwahati: The Jaintia Students’ Union (JSU) has claimed a legal setback for Shree Cement’s operations in Meghalaya, stating that the Meghalaya High Court has admitted its petition and that the state government has assured the court that all activities linked to the project will remain suspended until further proceedings.
According to the students’ body, the state government has filed a sworn affidavit undertaking to keep Shree Cement’s activities on hold, effectively preventing the company from carrying out further groundwork or project-related operations while the case is being heard.
The government has also proposed setting up a fact-finding committee to examine various aspects of the project, including environmental concerns, social implications, legal issues and allegations of criminal wrongdoing.
However, the JSU has raised objections to a government-led inquiry, questioning whether the state can independently investigate allegations concerning its own decisions and actions. The union has instead called for an independent investigation under the supervision of the court.
The matter is scheduled to come up for hearing again on September 7.
Separately, the dispute is also being examined by the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC). The commission has asked the JSU to submit its response by September 28 to inquiry reports submitted by the police and district administration.
The union has criticised the reports as “vague and evasive”, alleging that they do not adequately address issues such as procedural violations, the alleged use of excessive force and the treatment of protesters during demonstrations.
The JSU has further raised allegations concerning an attack on its medical rescue team, claiming that an armed group targeted its ambulance driver and other members while they were engaged in providing emergency assistance.
The union said police records also contain references to the alleged incident and maintained that it would submit an evidence-based response before the MHRC.
“We will pursue every legal avenue until true justice is delivered for our people,” JSU education secretary Bocheru Mi Pohsnem said.