Meghalaya

A special court in Meghalaya has sentenced two drug peddlers to six years of rigorous imprisonment and fined them ₹60,000 each for distributing narcotics to minors, officials said on Wednesday. The East Khasi Hills Special Judge (NDPS) court convicted Marvinson Jyrwa and Skhem Kupar Massar on October 27 under Sections 21(b) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, along with Section 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act. The prosecution established that both were involved in supplying narcotic substances to minors. Public Prosecutor S.S. Das represented the state in the case. Calling the offence “deeply aggravating,” the court said the act of targeting children for drug distribution showed extreme moral depravity and warranted strict punishment. In a separate ve...

Meghalaya MP Ricky J Syngkon has written to the Centre seeking immediate intervention over what he described as "severe environmental degradation" of the Umngot River in West Jaintia Hills, allegedly caused by construction activities under the Shillong-Tamabil road expansion project. The river popular for its pristine clear water at Dawki along the Indo-Bangladesh border has now turned brown, the MP highlighted. In his letter to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, the MP said the Umngot, once celebrated as 'Asia's cleanest river', has turned muddy and lifeless due to large-scale dumping of soil and debris from ongoing hill-cutting work along the 71-km NH-40 expansion project. “The Umngot River, a symbol of Meghalaya’s pristine natural herita...

A court in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district has framed charges against five accused in the murder case of Raja Raghuvanshi, who was hacked to death in May allegedly by three hitmen in the state, where the Madhya Pradesh businessman came with his wife for their honeymoon. The five accused are Raghuvanshi’s wife Sonam, her boyfriend Raj Kushwaha and the three hitmen - Vishal Chauhan, Akash Rajput and Anand Kurmi - who had come from Madhya Pradesh to kill the businessman. All of them denied the allegations against them. On Tuesday, the court formally framed charges under Sections 103(1) (murder), 238 (a) (disappearance of evidence) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita. All five accused were arrested within a week of the incident. On September 5, the police submit...

The Congress in Meghalaya on Wednesday welcomed former minister Zenith Sangma back into its fold, a day after he resigned from the Trinamool Congress. In a letter to A Chellakumar, AICC secretary in-charge of Meghalaya, Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said party president Mallikarjun Kharge has approved the proposal for Sangma’s rejoining of the Indian National Congress (INC). Sangma was formally welcomed into the party in Shillong by Meghalaya PCC president Vincent H Pala and other senior leaders. The announcement was made in Shillong by MPCC president Vincent H. Pala, following approval from the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Sangma’s return, the Congress said, is a direct rebuttal to the ruling NPP’s claim that the party is “finished” in Meghalaya. Inst...

Meghalaya Trinamool Congress (TMC) vice-president and former minister Zenith Sangma on Tuesday resigned from the party and its primary membership with immediate effect. In a letter addressed to the party leadership, Zenith said the decision came "after much thought and reflection," describing it as a difficult but necessary step to pursue a new path that aligns with his personal vision and the aspirations of the people he serves. "This has not been an easy decision. My journey with the AITC has been filled with invaluable experiences, lessons, and memories. I will always remain grateful for the trust, support, and friendship I received from colleagues, workers, and well-wishers throughout my tenure with the party," the younger brother of senior TMC leader and Opposition Leader Mukul Sangm...

In a major political shake-up ahead of the autonomous district council elections next year, Meghalaya Trinamool Congress (TMC) vice-president and former minister Zenith Sangma resigned from the party on Tuesday, ending his three-year association with the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). In a letter addressed to the party leadership, Sangma described his resignation as a “difficult but necessary” step, taken after deep reflection on his political journey and the aspirations of the people he represents. “This has not been an easy decision. My journey with the AITC has been filled with invaluable experiences and lessons. I will always remain grateful for the trust and support I received from colleagues and well-wishers throughout my tenure,” he wrote. The younger brother of Opposit...

Meghalaya Police on Sunday detained five persons suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals during a routine check at the ISBT junction in Mawlai Mawiong, Shillong. The operation was carried out by Mawlai Police in coordination with the Special Operations Team (SOT). The detainees have been identified as Md. Fajid Bilul (47), Lelepa Begum (40), Musamat Jahana Khatoon (35), Md. Alamgir Mia (25), and Md. Imammul Hassan (18). The group, which included two women, was reportedly travelling from Srinagar and is believed to have been attempting to cross into Bangladesh through Meghalaya. Acting on a tip-off, the police intercepted a tourist taxi bearing registration number ML05 S 1358 at the junction. Upon questioning, the passengers failed to produce valid passports or travel documents. Eas...

Following an intelligence  input that suspected Bangladeshi nationals were coming to Shillong from Srinagar and  heading towards Bangladesh in a tourist vehicle,   Special Cell and SOT conducted  a naka at ISBT junction, Mawlai Mawiong.  At about 8:42 pm, one tourist vehicle bearing R/No. ML. 055 1358 with 5 (five) occupants inside were intercepted and   detained. Upon preliminary inquiry, the said occupants failed to produce valid documents and admitted to being Bangladeshis. The 5 (five) persons  namely- Shri Md. Alamgir Mia (25 yrs), R/o Habiganj (Bangladesh),  Smt. Lelepa Begum (40 yrs), R/o Silit Muli Bazar (Bangladesh),  Smt. Musanat jahana Khatoon (35yrs),  R/o Sonam Ganj (Bangladesh),  Shri Md. Imammul Hassan (18 ...

In a move aimed at improving sanitation facilities and promoting education for girls, Oil India Limited (OIL) has announced that it will fund the construction of 47 toilets for girl students in schools across Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya. The initiative is part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme and is expected to address the shortage of dedicated toilets for female students in several government schools. According to officials, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on October 24 between representatives of Oil India Limited and Ri Bhoi Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal. As per the agreement, the state-run energy major will provide around ₹72 lakh to finance the construction of the toilets in selected schools that currently lack proper sanitation...