GUWAHATI
Meghalaya, which is undergoing an unprecedented heatwave, has been rocked by a series of petrol bomb attacks over the course of a week now.
Police stations and government vehicles have been the targets of miscreants for reasons not yet known. It is believed the arson is linked to demands for ejecting people of suspicious nationalities or allegedly illegal settlers.
In the latest case on the night of May 2, a vehicle of the Directorate of Water Resources in the State’s capital Shillong went up in flames after miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at it. A similar attack was carried out on a camp of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the city’s Mawlai area on the night of May 1.
At least seven such incidents were reported earlier. Petrol bombs were hurled at the Shillong Sadar and Rynjah police stations while two police vehicles were set on fire in the State’s West Jaintia Hills district on April 30.
“We have found a pattern in these attacks carried out in areas without CCTV coverage. We are following leads to catch the culprits,” a senior police official in Shillong said.
“We are always prepared to talk with people who have any issues with the government. Throwing petrol bombs or setting things on fire will not solve anything,” Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said. He handles the Home portfolio.
Mr. Tynsong said the State’s Director General of Police has been directed to investigate the incidents thoroughly and catch the culprits.
