Meghalaya govt orders probe into firing incident

Meghalaya government has ordered a magisterial probe into the yesterday's security forces' firing in East Jaintia Hills district resulting in the death of two persons including a woman along National Highway 44.
"We have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the firing which led to the death of two persons along the NH 44," Additional Deputy Commissioner and district in charge C Laloo told PTI.
West Jaintia Hills district Additional Deputy Commissioner S S Syiemlieh was asked to complete the inquiry within a month, he said.
Two persons including a woman died on the spot while six others sustained bullet injuries after para military personnel allegedly opened fire at the mob which obstructed their vehicle and pelted stones on the NH 44.

In the incident, the BSF has denied to have opened fire at a crowd even as they admitted that they were travelling in that road one hour after the incident.
Inspector General of Border Security Force, Meghalaya Frontier, Sudesh Kumar said, "one company of the force was travelling in that area, but that was one hour after the firing had taken place."

The BSF vehicle came under attack too and they had resorted to firing four rounds in the air to disperse the mob, he said.
The people attacked the vehicles plying on NH 44 while enforcing an economic strike in the area protesting against National Green Tribunal blanket ban on coal mining and transportation in the state.

The economic strike began at 5 pm on Tuesday and the agitators were preventing the flow of traffic along the NH 44.
District authorities have already imposed section 144 CrPC along the NH 44 in East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills and East Jaintia Hills district.
The economic strike in East Jaintia Hills has also cut off traffic to other states - Tripura and Mizoram, and parts of Assam and Manipur, officials said.