Shillong, Feb 11 : Meghalaya’s Mining and Geology Minister Donkupar Massar was arrested Tuesday night on charges of assaulting and kidnapping people during a local council election, officials here said.
Massar, a cabinet minister in the Nationalist Congress Party-led Meghalaya Progressive Alliance government, was arrested from the outskirts of capital Shillong.
‘He (Massar) was arrested on charges of assaulting and kidnapping people in Phyrnai village under Pynursla police station during Tuesday polling for the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) elections,’ East Khasi Hills District Deputy Commissioner B. Dhar said. Massar’s wife Grace Kharpuri is contesting the KHADC election as an independent candidate from Nongshken constituency.
Police personnel and witnesses said the minister assaulted many people during the polling period, and some of the victims filed a police report.
‘We are yet to identify the person kidnapped, but the police are on the job to trace the victim,’ the deputy commissioner said.
Earlier, in the day after news spread about the incidents of kidnapping and assault by Massar in Phyrnai, an irate mob stopped the minister’s vehicle, although he was not in it. The mob then set the vehicle ablaze.
The minister, who is an independent legislator, denied the charges.
‘I will file a counter FIR,’ Massar said.
The immediate provocation for the minister’s behaviour was said to be some people in the area not turning out to vote. Some people also told him that they voted for some other candidates and not for his wife.