The Meghalaya police have played down an anonymous letter claiming that three INSAS rifles snatched from the police by masked teenagers on August 15 were thrown into a river flowing through the State capital Shillong.
Shillong had descended into chaos as officials observed the country’s 75th Independence Day. The trigger that day was the funeral of former extremist leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew, who was allegedly killed in a fake encounter at his residence in the city’s Mawlai area on August 13.
The unsigned letter sent to the headman of Mawlai area with a copy to Superintendent of Police of East Khasi Hills district on August 20 claimed the three rifles were taken from the teenagers and tossed into the river Wahumkhrah from a bridge across it.
“My friends and I came across a few youths carrying the weapons in the Lawmali area. We took the rifles from them after learning they were snatched from the police and threw the weapons into Wahumkhrah from the Umpohliew Bridge. This was done for the safety of the teenagers,” the letter read.
East Khasi Hills SP Sylvester Nongtnger made light of the letter.
“Anyone can write an unsigned letter like that,” he said, adding that his team was searching for the missing weapons.
Three policemen from the Mawlai Mawkynroh outpost, who fled into a nearby forest after being attacked by a mob, were suspended for losing their rifles. The government is initiating an inquiry against them.
The miscreants who snatched the weapons also hijacked and vandalised an SUV in which some policemen were travelling. They drove the vehicle across the city before torching it.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma appealed to the unidentified rifle-snatchers to return the weapons.
