Shillong: Three unidentified suspects hurled two petrol bombs at the Directorate of Mineral Resources office in Risa Colony on Wednesday afternoon. The attack occurred around 3:15 pm, while staff worked inside. One device hit a boundary wall, and the second scorched a Maruti Alto, registration number ML 05 AC 0429, belonging to a department employee. Staff doused the flames within five minutes. No one died.
DMR Director M.B. Tongper was in a meeting when the glass shattered. "I heard what sounded like bottles breaking outside," he said. Officials turned to see the vehicle on fire. Laitumkhrah police are currently reviewing CCTV footage recovered from the scene and have logged two separate FIRs.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma visited the office alongside Chief Secretary Shakil Ahmed. He promised to cover the repair costs for the damaged car. Sangma also ordered the installation of high-definition cameras to harden security at the site. This strike marks the latest in a relentless two-month wave of arson targeting government property.
Trouble began August 3 at the State Pollution Control Board. It followed a contentious cement mining hearing. KSU protests on August 19 escalated into widespread violence against public property. By August 20, attackers moved on police facilities, bombing Nongmensong Outpost. Subsequent attacks hit Madanrting Police Station, the NPP office in Lower Lachumiere, and a motorcycle in Malki. On September 12, two suspects on a scooter firebombed Laban Police Station, burning a police Gypsy. Authorities have yet to catch those responsible for the ongoing spree.
Updated at 17th September 2026 at 10:31am
The owner of the scorched Maruti Alto is a female staff member. She and DMR Director M.B. Tongper have both filed separate FIRs regarding the attack. Authorities also alerted the Fire and Emergency Services and the Deputy Commissioner immediately following the incident.
Investigators are currently scrubbing the facility's CCTV footage to track the exact route the suspects used to reach the office. This strike marks the first time the DMR office has been targeted in such a manner. The Chief Minister confirmed that the planned security upgrades will extend to government offices across the state, not just the DMR site.
Context for the broader wave of violence includes a July 31 public hearing regarding a Shree Cement Ltd limestone mining project, which preceded the initial August 3 attack on the State Pollution Control Board. Additionally, three KSU leaders were arrested following the August 19 protests. The recent spree follows a three-day ultimatum issued by the union to the government regarding the registration of cases against its members.
Updated at 17th September 2026 at 2:01pm
Investigators are scrubbing the facility's CCTV footage to trace the path the trio of attackers took to reach the Risa Colony compound. This is the first time the DMR office has been targeted by arsonists.
Chief Minister Sangma confirmed the planned security upgrades will reach beyond the DMR site, with the state government installing high definition cameras at government offices across Meghalaya to deter future hits. DMR Director M.B. Tongper noted the government will provide financial assistance to the female staff member whose personal vehicle was scorched in the attack.
The broader wave of violence is rooted in a July 31 public hearing regarding a Shree Cement Ltd limestone mining project, which sparked the August 3 attack on the State Pollution Control Board. The unrest further intensified following the arrest of three KSU leaders after the August 19 protests, with the ongoing spree tracking against a three day ultimatum the union issued to the government over the registration of cases against its members.
Updated at 17th September 2026 at 10:06pm
The violence surged again between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, with four additional strikes hitting government and police targets. Miscreants hit the Directorate of Health Services campus in Laitumkhrah, sparking a fire that required fire tenders to suppress. Another petrol bomb struck the Lumdiengjri police station, damaging the rear of the officer in charge's room, while a police booth in Nongmensong was torched.
Director M.B. Tongper clarified that the employee whose Maruti Alto was destroyed was not inside the office when the attack occurred. The owner of the car has since joined Director Tongper in filing a formal FIR with local authorities.
Updated at 18th September 2026 at 9:48am
The arson spree turned more aggressive between Wednesday night and Thursday morning. At 9:45 pm Wednesday, a petrol bomb hit the Lumdiengjri police station, partially shattering a window pane. By 3:27 am Thursday, a government vehicle, identified as ML01 7702, was torched inside the Directorate of Health Services complex. Minutes later, at 3:55 am, a police booth at the Nongmensong Bazar Junction was set ablaze, with investigators suspecting the attackers used a discarded vehicle tyre to fuel the flames.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong ordered the Director General of Police to ramp up patrolling and adopt a more proactive posture. He warned that the government will not tolerate the violence and that perpetrators will face the full weight of the law. Tynsong dismissed the need for additional outside forces, stating that state police resources remain adequate to handle the current situation.
East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal has directed government departments to keep office gates locked, store vehicles in secure areas, and maintain high vigilance via night watchmen. Sector magistrates are now tasked with building direct lines to community leaders to feed real-time intelligence to police units on the ground.
Comments