Miscreants on Wednesday attacked a team of Meghalaya with stones and petrol bombs leaving five of them, including a sub-inspector, injured.
The attacks took place at Mawlyndep village after the police team returned from Lawmei village providing security to trucks ferrying vegetables from Lawmei village.
Mawlyndep is in Ri Bhoi district while Lawmei village, where the trucks had gone to collect the vegetables, is in East Khasi Hills district.
Home minister Lahkmen Rymbui while confirming the incident said the police team had gone to Lawmei village for security reasons since a meeting was held there in connection with the collection of vegetables from the farmers.
“On the way, the police team was pelted with stones and petrol bombs were hurled at Mawlyndep. An investigation is on, and the police teams from East Khasi Hills district and Ri Bhoi district will be able to trace the perpetrators,” Rymbui said.
“Investigations will surely find the people responsible for such attacks. Whoever has done this, will not escape,” he added.
According to the home minister, police used to do patrolling in various places especially when there is an anticipation of law and order problems.
Meanwhile, East Khasi Hills superintendent of police S. Nongtnger said the police team went to the vegetable collection centre at Lawmei where a meeting was convened by the BDO of Sohïong C&RD Block with the farmers association of Lawmei, and those opposing the coming of Assam vehicles to Lawmei vegetable collection centre.
According to the SP, the request for police security was sought by the BDO of Sohïong C&RD Block on Tuesday, as he informed that the vegetable collection centre at Lawmei must function.
“In view of this, one Armed Branch sub-inspector of SF-10, three SF-10 personnel and a driver constable were sent for patrolling to Lawmei,” the SP said.
“On their return from Lawmei along with the vegetable trucks, stones were pelted and petrol bombs hurled at the police vehicle (Gypsy ML02-0198) on reaching Mawlyndep village, Ri-Bhoi district, whereby the SF-10 personnel sustained burn injuries,” he added.
The injured police personnel were immediately rushed to the Shillong Civil Hospital.
Two police personnel were admitted and their condition is stable while the three others have been discharged after being administered first aid.
The police vehicle was partially damaged in the attack.
Police from Umïam police station also rushed immediately to the area where an incident happened and the Special Operation Teams (SOTs) were thereafter dispatched to comb the area.
At the place of occurrence, broken bottles were used as petrol bomb, one unused petrol bomb, and a small quantity of petrol in a plastic bottle were recovered and seized.
An FIR has been lodged by the officer-in-charge of Lumdiengjri police station and a case was registered vide Umïam PS C/No. 108(8)2020 U/S 120B/353/326/307/427 IPC R/W Section 8 MMPO and Section 3 PDPP Act R/W Section 3 Explosive Substance Act to ascertain the perpetrators of the crime and take legal action as per law.