Shillong, Dec 23: The banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council has firmly denied that the two individuals arrested by the state police in connection with the December 15 IED attack on the Dhar Company premises at Shymplong, East Jaintia Hills, are members of the outfit.
The blast, which occurred on the night of 15 December, damaged a water tanker but caused no injuries. Police subsequently arrested Richard Suchen (31) and Pynshaitbor Syih (45), both residents of Shymplong.
In a statement issued on Monday, HNLC general secretary Sainkupar Nongtraw said, “The two arrested are not cadres of the HNLC, and all those items seized belong to the police themselves.”
He further questioned the police’s actions, stating: “The outfit’s cadres who are involved in the IED attack on December 15 have all come back to the camp. If the police are sure that the people they arrested are involved, then why do they have to pick up the wife of a hardcore HNLC cadre, Emanuel Suchen @ Shwa?”
Nongtraw accused the police of targeting family members of HNLC members, noting, “In the history of the HNLC, we have not even once disturbed the family members of the ministers of the police. Despite this, the police used to arrest and disturb the family members of the cadres of the outfit.”
He added that the HNLC has adopted new operational strategies and urged the police to cease harassing the families of its members.
The HNLC also criticized the police for attempting to tarnish its reputation by linking a POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) accused to the IED incident.
Regarding the extent of damage, Nongtraw claimed that six out of twenty vehicles were damaged in the blast, including two oil tankers. He alleged that the police had concealed the incident for three days.
Police sources, however, maintain that the investigation is ongoing and that the arrests were made based on credible evidence linking the suspects to the attack.
