Police announce Rs 1L for info on IED blast

SHILLONG: The East Khasi Hills police on Sunday announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for anyone giving credible information leading to the arrest of any person involved in the IED blast at Harijan Colonya day earlier, in which one person was injured.
Around 10.30pm on Saturday, a crude IED was detonated in an uninhabited and abandoned CGI sheet structure at Syndicate bus stand in Harijan Colony in Mawlonghat.
Cops said a suo-motu FIR has been registered with the Sadar police station under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosive Substances Act. Investigation into the blast is currently under way.
In a statement issued on Sunday, SP (East Khasi Hills) Rituraj Ravi said the identity of the informant will be kept confidential. “Any relevant information in this regard should be communicated to a confidential cell through call, text or WhatsApp on phone number 9366790273 or through email on [email protected],” the SP added.
Condemning the blast, the SP said it amounts to a terrorist act punishable under UAPA and the Explosive Substances Act, and those behind it have committed a grave offence tantamount to waging war against the state.
According to a police statement, the IED was placed inside a metal container. The blast, suspected to have been caused by gelatin sticks, was confined to the CGI sheet structure while causing damages to the glass windows of the adjacent buildings.
“A passerby, who was later identified as Lakhan Singh sustained minor splinter injuries in his leg ,” the SP said.
The SP said the modus operandi employed in the blast bears close resemblance to the blasts that occurred in the past in the region for which the banned unlawful association Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) had claimed responsibility.
“However, till the time of filing of this report, no organisation or outfit had claimed responsibility for the blast,” the SP added.
“East Khasi Hills Police is fully committed to investigating this matter to apprehend those responsible. In this regard, we seek cooperation from the general public in ensuring the success of these efforts,” the SP said.