The suspension that began on 10.30am on Thursday has been extended for another forty eight hours in the districts West Jaintia Hills, East Jaintia Hills, East Khasi Hills, Ri - Bhoi, Eastern West Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, and South West Khasi Hills Districts.
“Messaging system like WhatsApp and social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, You Tube etc. are likely to be used for transmission of information through pictures, videos and text, having the potential to cause serious breakdown of law and order" the official statement alerted.
Tension gripped Meghalaya's capital Shillong after miscreants on Thursday evening torched a traffic booth and attacked three police vehicles, including a city bus. “Reports have been received from Police Headquarters of arson and damages to vehicles having Assam registration from various parts of Shillong and other pockets of Jaintia Hills Districts", the official statement confirmed.
The incident took place during a candlelight vigil organised by some groups to protest against the violence on the Assam-Meghalaya border on 22 November. Six persons, including five from Meghalaya and a personnel of Assam Forest Guard, were killed in the firing incident at Mukroh area of West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya.
According to reports, the protesters hurled stones and petrol bombs at police forces deployed to calm tensions. Security personnel were forced to lob tear gas shells to disperse the protesters and enforce order, said reports.
S. Nongtnger, SP of East Khasi Hills, Shillong, said three police vehicles, including a city bus and a gypsy, were damaged in the incident.
"The miscreants torched a traffic booth in the city and hurled petrol bombs at police personnel," the SP said.
Earlier, on Wednesday, both Assam and Meghalaya governments demanded a probe by a central agency into the incident.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said a central agency should investigate the firing incident.
"I have also held discussions with the Assam chief minister about the incident. We demand that a central agency investigate the matter. The NIA or CBI should inquire into the incident. The Assam government also agreed to this and said they will cooperate with the probe, should it be ordered by the central government," Sangma said.
The apex body of petroleum workers in Assam on Thursday said it has stopped transportation of fuel to Meghalaya, following reports of attacks on vehicles from Assam in the backdrop of violence along the inter-state border that left six people dead.
Further a group of villagers from Meghalaya allegedly vandalised and burnt down a forest office in Assam’s West Karbi Anglong district, following the killing of six people in violence that occurred in a disputed area along the border between the two states, officials claimed on Wednesday.
Protests and violence erupted when six people, including a forest guard, were killed in violence at a disputed area on the Assam-Meghalaya border in the early hours of Tuesday after a truck allegedly laden with illegally felled timber was intercepted by forest guards from Assam.
The Meghalaya government suspended mobile internet services in seven districts, while the Assam Police sounded alert in the border districts and also ordered an inquiry by a retired high court judge into the matter.
