Meghalaya: Ri-Bhoi Police File Case Against HNLC for "Planting" IED in Umsning Market

Ri-Bhoi Police have initiated legal action against the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) following the group’s emailed claims to media outlets, admitting responsibility for placing an improvised explosive device (IED) in Umsning, Meghalaya, as a “symbolic protest.”

Ri-Bhoi Senior Superintendent of Police, Vivekanand Singh Rathore, confirmed that a case has been registered against the outlawed group. The development came after authorities received a tip-off on Saturday evening about a suspicious abandoned bag in a building at Umsning Market.

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A rapid response team was deployed, locating a black bag within the premises. Experts identified a powerful IED inside, containing approximately 4.7 kilograms of gelatin, 10 detonators, and around 50 iron rod fragments intended as shrapnel. The explosive materials were safely secured and subsequently neutralised following standard protocols.

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In its statement, the HNLC described the act as a “symbolic protest” against what it called the “betrayal” of indigenous communities by “corrupt politicians and businessmen” prioritising “non-tribal interests.” The group alleged that certain political figures were protecting non-tribal settlers, enabling land transfers, and promoting external interests, which it claimed endangered the Hynniewtrep community’s future.

In a separate incident on Monday, panic erupted in Rynjah after residents spotted an abandoned bag near a roadside shop. Fearing it might contain explosives, police swiftly cordoned off the area, halting traffic and deploying a bomb disposal unit. After a thorough inspection, the squad confirmed the bag posed no threat, allowing normal traffic flow to resume.