Shillong, May 10: Cabinet Minister and spokesperson for the MDA government, Paul Lyngdoh, on Wednesday reiterated government’s stance that the three Border Security Force (BSF) personnel involved in the killing of a civilian should be punished according to the law of the land. Lyngdoh also mentioned that the BSF should be stationed at the international border to prevent various crimes and illegal infiltration from Bangladesh into India.

Lyngdoh, however, expressed the government’s appreciation for the BSF’s action in arresting the three personnel involved in the shooting of 32-year-old Roning Nongkynrih from Jalynteng village, at Mawshun village on May 5, 2023. He said the law of the land should be followed and that the BSF personnel should be held accountable for their actions that led to the death of Roning.

In response to the demand for compensation to the victim’s next of kin, Lyngdoh said the state government would work out the modalities in consultation with the BSF higher ups. The spokesperson emphasized that there had been a violation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by the BSF and that they were stationed in a civilian area instead of at the international border.

Lyngdoh stressed that the BSF’s primary duty is to guard the international border against various crimes and illegal infiltration, which is a long-term issue that needs to be addressed. He explained that there is a lot of smuggling that is happening in terms of infiltration that could potentially change the demographic balance of Meghalaya. However, he refrained from sharing more details on the matter, stating that the matter falls under the purview of the Home Department.

Lyngdoh also mentioned that there is a proposal to create more battalions of the state police to enhance policing against smuggling activities and other crimes.