Meghalaya woman arrested in connection with murder attempt on activists

The Meghalaya police on Wednesday arrested a woman, who is one of the accused in the murder attempt on women's rights activist Agnes Kharshiing and her aide in a coal-belt area in East Jaintia Hills district.

Based on credible information, police arrested Skhemlang Dkhar (44) from Mooralong area in Jowai, the district headquarters of West Jaintia. She was evading arrest following her alleged involvement in the brutal attacks on the two activists on November 8 at Tuber Sohshrieh area.

With the arrest of Dkhar, the total number of people arrested in the case has risen to six.

"We have arrested Dkhar based on credible information that she was involved in the attack on Kharshiing and Amita Sangma," Sylvester Nongtnger, the district police chief of East Jaintia Hills, told IANS.

Nongtnger said the court has remanded her to a five-day police custody.

Kharshiing along with Sangma were brutally assaulted by a group of people after the activist lodged a complaint on illegal mining and transportation of coal in the district.

The National Green Tribunal had ordered an interim ban on "rat-hole" coal mining in Meghalaya from April 17, 2014, after the All Dimasa Students' Union and the Dima Hasao District Committee filed an application before it, alleging that the water of the Kopili river was turning acidic due to coal mining in the Jaintiia Hills. 

The Meghalaya High Court has asked the investigating officer to file the status report of the investigation and to remain present in the Court along with the case diary on November 27.

Chief Minister Conrad Sangma had said that he would consult his cabinet colleagues whether the murder attempt on Kharshiing warrants a judicial or a CBI probe.
-IANS