Shillong, September 18: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has strongly criticised police for taking its East Jaintia Hills District Unit general secretary, Kwilness Suchiang, from his residence to Sardar Police Station for questioning in connection with the August 19 black-flag motorcycle rally.
According to the union, Suchiang was taken from his home around noon and questioned about his alleged involvement in the rally and the incidents of vandalism reported that day. The KSU alleged that police were attempting to link Suchiang to the violence merely because he had led a prayer before the rally began.
The union maintained that offering a prayer before a public programme could not be treated as evidence of involvement in offences committed later. “Is offering a prayer also illegal?” the KSU asked, asserting that participation in a prayer did not prove involvement in vandalism.
The union said that if police possessed evidence against anyone involved in the violence, they should conduct a fair investigation, identify the actual offenders, collect evidence and proceed according to law. It objected to what it described as the repeated summoning and questioning of KSU members or office-bearers simply because of their organisational affiliation or participation in public protests.
The KSU questioned whether police were genuinely attempting to identify those responsible for the vandalism or taking the easier route of targeting union members who participated in the rally. It maintained that a person’s presence at the rally, position in the organisation or participation in the opening prayer did not automatically make that individual responsible for incidents occurring afterwards.
The union demanded that police clarify the progress of the investigation into those directly involved in the vandalism on August 19. “The duty of the police is to identify offenders and bring them before the law, not to create accused persons merely on the basis of their association with an organisation,” it said.
The KSU described the police action against Suchiang as an alleged misuse of authority. It said that if investigators had evidence against him, they should produce it and allow the law to take its course. If no such evidence existed, police should publicly explain why he was taken from his residence for questioning, the union added.
While reiterating its respect for the law and the rule of law, the KSU said citizens should not be expected to remain silent over actions they believed violated the principles of fairness and justice. The union warned that it would oppose any alleged use of state or police power to intimidate its members or suppress public voices.
