Shillong: Police brought three senior Khasi Students Union leaders before the District and Sessions Court in Shillong on Monday. KSU president Raymond Kharjana, general secretary Reuben Najiar, and vice-president Pynkmenlang Sanmiet now face new charges. The state booked them for vandalizing two Meghalaya High Court vehicles on August 19 at Mawlai Phudmuri and Mawlai Nonglum.
These men remain in custody following earlier arrests linked to a violent KSU bike rally. That event included attacks on vehicles carrying tourists from Assam. The trio appeared in court this past Saturday for a different vandalism case before these latest charges landed. Other union members waited at the courthouse, greeting their leaders with embraces as police escorted them inside.
The court developments arrive right before a September 1 hearing for PIL 16 of 2026. The Registrar General of the High Court of Meghalaya filed the case against the state. Justices Hamarsan Singh Thangkhiew and Wanlura Diengdoh previously demanded a status report and case diaries. During an August 24 session, the bench noted a lack of progress regarding additional arrests beyond the union office-bearers. Advocate General Amit Kumar told the judges that a Special Investigation Team now leads the probe.
The legal pressure continues to mount. Addressing reporters outside the courtroom, Reuben Najiar refused to back down. He said, "the government could impose fresh charges against them, but maintained that they would respond after they are released from custody."
Updated at 1st September 2026 at 10:00pm
City streets are finally quiet. East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal confirmed on Tuesday that the Central Armed Police Force and Rapid Action Force have pulled out of Shillong. The withdrawal follows a temporary halt to the KSU agitation and a gradual return of tourists to the area.
Baranwal acknowledged that the hospitality sector still faces a climb to reach pre-violence numbers. While bookings have picked up, visitor volume has yet to match the levels recorded the day before the August 19 rally. The Deputy Commissioner deferred all questions regarding the mounting criminal cases against the KSU leadership to the Superintendent of Police.
Updated at 2nd September 2026 at 1:48am
Beyond the courtroom fallout, the city streets are finally quiet. East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal confirmed on Tuesday that the Rapid Action Force and Central Reserve Police Force have pulled out of Shillong. The withdrawal follows a temporary halt to the KSU agitation and a decision by the union to scrap a planned education-related program.
Baranwal described the current security climate as completely normal. While fresh bookings are filling the void left by cancellations, he noted that the district has yet to see a full recovery in visitor numbers to match the levels recorded on August 18.
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