NIA to probe the 2020 Star Cement bomb blast case in Meghalaya
Last year, East Jaintia Hills witnessed two blasts - the first at Soo Kilo under Sutnga Elaka on November 26 and within three weeks, another at the Star Cement quarters.
SHILLONG:
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the probe relating to the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast that rocked the Star Cement residential quarters at Lumshnong in East Jaintia Hills (EJH), Meghalaya on December 12, 2020.
Though the premier investigating agency’s Guwahati Branch had re-registered the case (RC-01/2021/NIA/GUW) on March 15, 2020, the agency was unable to file a charge sheet in the matter following the pandemic restrictions issued by state governments.
“The delay in filing of the charge sheet was because of the recurrent lockdowns. Transportation and lodging were a major challenge during that time. The investigation, however, was continuing," a source from the NIA told The Northeast Today (TNT) on Monday.
Last year in December, one person was injured when an IED exploded at the Star Cement residential quarters in EJH. No sooner was the matter reported, the militant outfit - Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), had claimed responsibility justifying that it was a consequence of the failure of the cement company to "pay taxes to the outfit". The state police had registered an FIR at Lumshnong police station on December 13, 2020.
"Out of the many cases, the state government had recommended this particular case, and based on that, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an order directing NIA to take up investigation of the FIR registered at Lumshnong PS," the source said.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui has denied that the case has been given to the NIA. “No, not to my knowledge,” the Minister said when asked about the same.
Last year, East Jaintia Hills witnessed two blasts - the first at Soo Kilo under Sutnga Elaka on November 26 and within three weeks, another at the Star Cement quarters. In both cases, the HNLC had claimed responsibility. This year, on July 14, HNLC claimed responsibility for the blast that occurred near the police reserve at Khliehriat in East Jaintia Hills.
So far, the NIA has taken up two cases in Meghalaya - the 2020 IED blast in East Jaintia Hills and the 2018 abduction case involving the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K).
(Edited by Ibankyntiew Mawrie)
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