Five Special Force-10 personnel, including an Armed Branch sub-inspector of the Meghalaya police, were injured after miscreants hurled petrol bombs and stones at Mawlyndep village in Ri-Bhoi district of Meghalaya on August 26, police said.
Out of the five SF-10 personnel, two of them have been admitted at Civil Hospital, Shillong, while three others were released after administering first aid.
Superintendent of police for East Khasi Hills district, Sylvester Nongtnger said that a police team had gone to the vegetable collection centre at Lawmei village as there was meeting convened by the block development officer of Sohïong Community & Rural Development Block with the farmers’ association of Lawmei, and those opposing the coming of Assam vehicles to the Lawmei vegetable collection centre.
He said the request for police security was sought by the BDO of Sohïong on August 25, 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. On their return from Lawmei along with the vegetable trucks, stones were pelted and petrol bombs hurled at the police vehicle on reaching Mawlyndep village, Ri-Bhoi district, whereby the SF-10 personnel sustained burn injuries,” Nongtnger informed.
He said the injured police personnel were immediately rushed to Civil Hospital Shillong.
“Two SF-10 personnel were admitted and their condition is stable, while the other three have been discharged after they were administered first aid treatment,” he said, adding that the police vehicle was partially damaged in the attack.
Police from Umïam police station also rushed immediately to the area where an incident had happened and the Special Operation Teams (SOTs) were thereafter dispatched to comb the area.
At the place of occurrence, broken bottles used as the petrol bomb, one unused petrol bomb, and a small quantity of petrol in a plastic bottle were recovered and seized, he said.
Meanwhile, Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui said: “Investigation is on, and the police teams from East Khasi Hills district and Ri Bhoi district will be able to trace the perpetrators. Investigations will surely find the people responsible for such attacks. Whoever has done this, will not escape.”
