Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home (Police) Prestone Tynsong on Thursday urged businessmen, shopkeepers and citizens not to remain silent if they receive extortion threats allegedly linked to the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC). He appealed to people to immediately inform the police or the government if they receive such threats. Tynsong said the issue was recently discussed by the government, which stressed that anyone receiving threatening messages should not hesitate to file FIRs or bring the matter to the attention of the authorities.
He said citizens could approach local police stations, police outposts, district police headquarters, or even contact him directly. The deputy Chief minister said the government remains committed to ensuring the safety of all citizens and allowing businesses to operate peacefully. He assured that any information shared with the police would be acted upon. Responding to questions regarding the absence of suo motu police action, Tynsong said authorities might not know about threatening messages if victims choose not to report them immediately and only raise the issue after it becomes public.
He urged people not to be intimidated by threats from militant outfits or criminal groups. “People should not be scared whether the threat comes from the HNLC, thieves, crooks or any other criminals. The government will deal firmly with such elements,” he said. His appeal came amid reports that the banned HNLC has allegedly been sending extortion notices through WhatsApp to shopkeepers and businessmen in Shillong, demanding payment described by the outfit as “income tax”.
According to reports, traders were allegedly given deadlines to pay amounts running into several lakhs of rupees and were threatened with consequences if they failed to comply. When contacted, Vivek Syiem said no FIR had yet been filed regarding the alleged extortion campaign. However, he acknowledged that police were aware of the WhatsApp-based extortion demands.
