SHILLONG, March 12: The Hynniewtrep National Youth Front (HNYF) has denied that its disciplinary secretary was involved in the March 9-IED bomb blast at Them Iew Mawlong.
58-year-old Tarson Lymba was picked up from Dawki in West Jaintia Hills district on the night of March 10, after he was alleged to have been involved in the IED bomb blast incident.
Tarson has helped in the picking up and bringing of the HNLC leaders from certain locations along the international border to Shillong for peace talks with the government.
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A delegation of the HNYF led by its president Sadon K Blah along with the family members of Tarson met the superintendent of police (SP) of East Khasi Hills district, Rituraj Ravi to seek clarification on his arrest.
“The SP has clearly indicated that the arrest of Tarson was in connection with the recent bomb blast which took place at Mawlonghat,” Blah told reporters after the meeting.
“However, as HNYF, we are not convinced that Tarson would be involved in the bomb blast incident. In fact we believe that he is not involved at all,” he said.
Blah said that Tarson has been with the HNYF for the past 26-27 years and was never involved in any anti-social activities.
The HNYF president said, “We have decided not to interrupt the police investigation or judicial procedure. We will wait till the investigation is completed.”
“But if the police charge sheet and move the court, we will not sit quietly because the police are used to victimizing NGO leaders whenever such incidents happen,” he said.
He said this is not the first time that an NGO leader is being picked up for questioning by the police. “On many occasions, many of our members are summoned unnecessarily to the police stations on this or that pretext,” Blah said while adding that even his vehicle was also searched by the Ri Bhoi police for no reason at all.
Blah said that police should abstain from provoking pressure groups in such a manner.
Further, the HNYF president said that Tarson in the past had helped the police department in picking up and bringing HNLC leaders to the negotiating table.
In regards to the Harijan issue, Blah said that the issue has been an eyesore to all the youths, who are angry with the government for its failure to relocate the residents from Them Iew Mawlong. (NNN)
