Meghalaya's West Garo Hills tense after overnight arson, looting
Shillong (PTI): The situation in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills district remained tense on Thursday morning following overnight arson and looting, officials said.
Residents in several localities of Tura town kept vigil throughout the night to safeguard their neighbourhoods after incidents of looting, vandalism and arson were reported, they said.
Miscreants looted, vandalised and set fire to several properties, including shops, in different areas of the town, prompting residents to organise themselves and guard their localities to prevent further damage, a senior police officer said.
Among the establishments that were targeted was a liquor store in Tura allegedly belonging to a family member of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma. It was looted by miscreants on Wednesday night.
Sources said some anti-social elements attempted to take advantage of the volatile situation by entering residential areas and engaging in unlawful activities. In response, community members from several parts of the town voluntarily remained on vigil throughout the night to protect their homes, businesses and neighbourhoods.
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Officials said community stakeholders and church leaders have initiated efforts to restore peace and normalcy in the region.
Violence erupted in West Garo Hills during protests linked to the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), with demonstrators opposing the participation of non-Garo communities in the filing of nominations for the polls.
Two persons were killed and several others were injured when police opened fire to disperse a mob during clashes in the Chibinang area on Tuesday, officials said.
The unrest also led to incidents of arson and damage to property in parts of the Garo Hills region, prompting authorities to deploy additional security forces, including five columns of the Army -- three in Tura town and two in Chibinang -- to restore order.
In the wake of the violence, the chief minister on Wednesday announced the postponement of the GHADC elections that were scheduled to be held on April 10.
The state government has also suspended mobile internet services across five districts of the Garo Hills region as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of rumours and maintain law and order, officials added.
Curfew continued to remain in force in West Garo Hills district and has been extended till midnight of Thursday as authorities stepped up security to maintain law and order.
West Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner V Aggarwal told PTI that the curfew would remain in force till 12 am on March 13.
Additional security forces have been deployed in sensitive areas across the Garo Hills region to prevent any fresh flare-up, officials said.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring East Garo Hills district, authorities relaxed the curfew on Thursday from 8 am to 1 pm to allow residents to procure essential items.
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Viral claim of Indian arrested for spying in Bahrain found to be false
New Delhi: A viral claim on social media alleging that an Indian national named Nitin Mohan was arrested in Bahrain for spying for Israel has been found to be false, with the image circulating online likely generated or altered using artificial intelligence.
The photo is being circulated widely on social media platforms, including a Pakistani X account currently withheld in India, shared an image purportedly showing, “Authorities in Bahrain have arrested an Indian national, Nitin Mohan, a telecommunications engineer, on allegations of espionage. According to reports, he was collecting sensitive geospatial data, photos, and videos of key locations and allegedly passing them to Israel’s intelligence agency.”
A fact-check by India Today revealed that the photo is likely AI-generated or AI-edited. We also did not find any report of the Bahrain government arresting an Indian national named Nitin Mohan.
However, a fact check found no credible evidence supporting the claim. Visual examination of the viral image showed several inconsistencies indicating that it was likely AI-generated or edited. The reflections in both eyes do not align. The fingers on one hand are blurred and appear to merge into the fist. The links between the handcuffs also look flimsy.
Further verification found no official reports of an Indian national named Nitin Mohan being arrested in Bahrain.
A press release issued on March 9 by Bahrain’s Police Media Centre stating that they had arrested six Asians for filming and sharing videos of Iranian aggression and glorifying hostile acts that could disturb security and public order.
According to the release, five of the arrested individuals were Pakistani nationals, Afzal Khan, Muhammad Muaz Akbar, Ahmad Mumtaz, Arsalan Sajid and Abdul Rahman Abdul Sattar, and one was a Bangladeshi national, Muhammad Israfil Mir. Their photographs also did not match the viral image circulating online.
Media reports from Gulf Daily News and Arab Times confirmed that Bahrain’s Interior Ministry arrested six individuals of Asian nationalities for recording and sharing videos glorifying Iranian aggression.
Additionally, India’s Ministry of External Affairs Fact Check wing stated on March 10 that the claim about an Indian national being arrested in Bahrain was “false and baseless.”
Authorities have cautioned that the viral image and accompanying claim are misleading, confirming that the claim is false and part of misinformation circulating online.
