Four Meghalaya Police constables have been suspended and a local Officer-in-Charge transferred after an activist sting operation exposed an alleged illegal money collection racket targeting commercial trucks in the East Khasi Hills district.
The disciplinary action follows a recent intervention by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU). On September 30, a KSU team led by Central Executive Council Education Secretary Alerick Kharjana visited Diengpasoh and Thangshalai to verify numerous public complaints. The union members recorded video footage purportedly showing police personnel collecting unauthorized payments ranging from ₹200 to ₹500 from trucks transporting goods, minerals, and food items along the national highway.
The KSU subsequently demanded an independent inquiry, questioning the authorization of these roadside collections and noting that such extortion practices artificially inflate transportation costs, placing a financial burden on consumers. The viral video footage also showed heated confrontations between union members, police personnel, and truck drivers providing testimonies of the extortion.
In response to the allegations, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police (SP) Vivek Syiem ordered an immediate preliminary inquiry, headed by SP (Shillong City) Dangsan Khyriem.
Following the preliminary findings, the district police took swift disciplinary action. One Head Constable and three Unarmed Branch Constables have been placed under suspension pending a full departmental inquiry. Additionally, the Officer-in-Charge of the Diengpasoh Police Station has been transferred out to ensure a fair and transparent investigation. A special police team was dispatched to dismantle two temporary sheds situated at Mawkhanu and Thangshalai, where the alleged collections took place.
According to SP Vivek Syiem, the constables were initially deployed to the roadside checkpoints to conduct patrols and ensure the safety of truckers during night hours, a move prompted by previous complaints from truckers’ associations regarding frequent incidents of robbery and dacoity in the area.
Despite the original intent of the deployment, the police administration emphasized a strict “zero tolerance” policy toward corruption. SP Syiem assured the public that any established case of extortion or illegal money collection by police personnel would invite severe departmental action under applicable rules.
The Meghalaya Police have issued an advisory urging truck drivers and vehicle owners to refuse unauthorized payments to personnel on the highway. Citizens facing harassment, demands for money, or improper conduct are encouraged to report the incidents immediately by dialing 112, contacting the Shillong Police Control Room at 6009196479, or approaching the East Khasi Hills SP’s office directly.
