Shillong, Sep 16 (PTI) Petrol bombs were at the Directorate of Mineral Resources (DMR) office in Shillong’s Risa Colony on Wednesday, damaging a car parked on the premises, police said.
The incident took place around 3.32 pm while employees were inside the office, DMR Director MB Tongper said.
One of the incendiary bombs hit a car belonging to a DMR official, causing the vehicle to catch fire.
“I was in my room attending a meeting when I heard a loud sound. Initially, I thought the car had hit something, but when we looked carefully, we saw flames. The car had caught fire from the front,” Tongper said.
“The employee who owned the car was outside the office at the time. The fire was doused within four to five minutes,” he said.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma visited the DMR office after the incident, accompanied by the chief secretary and other senior officials, and took stock of the situation.
Sangma assured compensation for the damaged vehicle as it was privately owned by an employee.
“He said that since the car belongs to an employee and is a private vehicle, the government will provide assistance compensation,” he said.
The chief minister also stressed the need to install more CCTV cameras at the DMR office and other government establishments to help capture such incidents, he added.
Two FIRs were registered at the Laitumkhrah police station — one based on the complaint by the DMR director and another on the complaint by the employee whose vehicle was damaged, police said.
Tongper said this is the first such incident at the office.
“We do not know who did this. We do not know the reason behind it. We have informed the police, and an investigation is underway,” he said.
The incident came four days after two unidentified persons hurled two petrol bombs at Laban police station in the town.
Two police personnel narrowly escaped, while a police vehicle parked inside the premises was partially damaged. The attack was captured on CCTV and police are investigating the case. PTI JOP SOM
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