Shillong, Aug 20: The state police have registered 15 FIRs for violence during the KSU’s black-flag bike rally that left 16 people injured, 31 vehicles vandalised, and two vehicles torched on Wednesday.
Informing this on Thursday, East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem said a manhunt is on to nab the culprits.
“Investigation is going on into the other cases to identify people who caused vandalism and arson,” he said.
Three top leaders of KSU, which organised the rally, have already been arrested from a restaurant in Shillong and remanded to 14 days judicial custody.
He said police have sufficient footage and evidence.
“We have enough evidence and footage to show that bikers were only involved in arson, vandalism and assault. The crowd had about 200 bikes. We need to identify who in that crowd was involved in various parts where incidents happened,” Syiem said.
He said MMPO has been invoked along with sections for unlawful assembly, assault and intimidation.
On alleged excessive force during the raid at KSU’s Jaiaw office, Syiem clarified that police went to arrest more persons involved in vandalism and faced stiff resistance.
“There were petrol bombs thrown at them, so to disperse the mob, we had to fire stun grenades. It was not inside any public or private house, just to disperse the crowd. After community members requested, police came back,” he said.
He said five companies of central forces have arrived and will be deployed from Thursday night, and no fresh arson has been reported since the two incidents in Mawlai and Nongmensong last night.
