Strong deterrence must be put in place to ensure Meghalaya is not made a destination for committing crimes: Mukul

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 9, 2025

Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Monday said a strong deterrence must be put in place to ensure Meghalaya is made a destination for people to commit crimes.

Referring to the recent murder case of a newlywed tourist from Indore, Madhya Pradesh Raja Raghuvanshi, Sangma said the perpetrators have chosen Meghalaya as a place thinking that they can commit crime and then get away with it.

“If the people who have committed this heinous crime have looked at Meghalaya as a destination to commit this crime that means they have done their exhaustive due diligence as to how to commit the crime. Therefore, a strong deterrence must be put in place and that is what is available with the government in terms of requirements as mandated by the law,” he told reporters.  

The former chief minister has also asserted the need for the government to fully implement the Meghalaya Residents, Safety and Security Act (MRSSA), 2016.

“The Act requires the government to ensure that we install CCTVs all along the national highways, state highways, neighbourhoods, cities and cover all those identified vulnerable areas and areas which are considered really prone for criminal activities,” he said.

Lauding the Meghalaya police for cracking the mystery behind the murder case, the leader of opposition emphasized the need to ensure no political interference in the functioning of the police force in the state.

“Therefore, it is important for us while we appreciate and while we put on record our deep sense of appreciation to our police organization, as I have mentioned earlier, we have build a strong efficient, competent and responsible police organization and this must be effectively utilized and there should be no political interference because I go by what is happening in the preceding years whether it is in the matter of dealing with other law and order issues or dealing with on time completion of investigation and charge sheeting pertaining to various crimes for which FIRs have been lodged in different police station,” he said adding “I have tabled unstarred questions in the Assembly not just once but numbers of time to get the information about the number of cases and FIRs lodged in the police stations across the state and number of cases registered by respective police station against those FIRs and also number of cases wherein investigation and chargesheeting have been completed.”

He said efficiency, competency notwithstanding police will have to be allowed to perform and demonstrate this efficiency and competency .

“Is it happening pertaining to cases registered in the police stations? Therefore, it has become necessary for the public to put that kind of question before the government. Is the government interfering with the functioning of police organizations in regards to cases registered in the police stations?” Sangma further asked.