By Francis Khongwar
Shillong (Meghalaya), March 10 : Meghalaya Police has announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for any information regarding the accused responsible for the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast at Harijan Colony in Mawlong Hat in the city on Saturday around 10.30 pm.
Police has said that the informant’s identity will be kept confidential.
The Superintendent of Police, Rituraj Ravi in Meghalaya’s East Khasi has announced a reward of Rs.1,00,000/-(Rupees One Lakh) to anyone giving credible information that leads to the arrest of any person involved in detonating an Improvised Explosive Device in an uninhabited and abandoned CGI sheet structure at Syndicate Bus Stand, Punjabi Lane Mawlonghat here on March 9, 2024, at around 10.30pm .
The police termed the incident as a dastardly and gruesome act. “The information can be conveyed to the Special Cell through Call, Text and Apps on phone number 9366790273 or through email onspeciacell.ekh.mlp@gmail.com and the identity of the informant will be kept fully confidential”, Rituraj Ravi said.
On the 9th of March 2024, at around 10:30 PM, a crude Improvised Explosive Device (lED) was detonated in an uninhabited and abandoned CGI sheet structure at Syndicate Bus Stand, Punjabi Lane at Mawlonghat here.
The IED was placed inside a metal container. The blast, suspected to have been caused by Gelatin sticks, was confined to the CGI sheet structure, while causing damage to the glass windows of the adjacent buildings.
One passerby who was later identified as Lakhan Singh sustained minor injuries in his leg due to splinters generated by the blast. The Modus Operandi used in this blast bears close resemblance to the blasts that occurred in the past in the region, for which, the banned unlawful association HNLC had claimed responsibility.
However, till the time of issuing this press release no organization or outfit has claimed responsibility for the blast.
Rituraj Ravi said, in this connection, a suo moto FIR is being registered at Sadar PS for further investigation into the matter under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act.
East Khasi Hills Police is fully committed to investigating this matter meticulously to apprehend those responsible and bring those involved to justice.
While the blast’s modus operandi resembles previous incidents linked to the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC)militants, no organization has claimed responsibility so far, he added.
