Curfew clamped, mobile internet services suspended in Meghalaya's West Garo Hills following violence

Curfew was clamped and mobile net services suspended successful Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills territory pursuing unit linked to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) predetermination information process, officials said connected Tuesday (March 10, 2026).

The curfew was imposed connected March 10 and volition stay successful unit for 24 hours, portion mobile net services volition stay suspended for 48 hours, they said.

The curfew was clamped successful the aftermath of miscreants vandalising respective shops successful Chibinang country of the territory connected Monday evening (March 9).

District Magistrate Vibhor Aggarwal said the determination was taken pursuing accusation indicating a likelihood of disturbance to nationalist bid and tranquillity, which could endanger quality beingness and spot successful the district.

The bid prohibits the question of immoderate idiosyncratic extracurricular their residence wrong the limits of the West Garo Hills territory during the curfew period.

Authorities said the restrictions were indispensable and proportionate successful presumption of the prevailing instrumentality and bid concern and were aimed astatine preventing immoderate disturbance of nationalist tranquillity.

The authorities authorities ordered 48-hour suspension of mobile net services successful West Garo Hills territory from March 10 arsenic a precautionary measurement to forestall the dispersed of rumours and support nationalist order, an authoritative said.

Senior administrative and constabulary officials, including magistrates, person been camping successful the affected areas and intimately monitoring the situation.

Security forces person been deployed successful the area, with constabulary and the CRPF maintaining strict vigil.

The vandalisation of shops took spot amid contention implicit a caller notification issued by the GHADC requiring candidates to nutrient valid Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates portion filing information papers for the assembly elections scheduled to beryllium held connected April 10.

The Commissioner and Secretary successful complaint of Home and District Council Affairs, Cyril Diengdoh, said the authorities has instructed each lawman commissioners, including that of West Garo Hills, to convene bid committee meetings with assemblage leaders and entreaty for calm.

“We person told the DC to telephone each the communities and clasp bid committee meetings and entreaty for peace,” Mr. Diengdoh told PTI.

He said further information forces would beryllium deployed successful the territory aft the superintendent of constabulary sought much personnel. “More forces volition beryllium sent,” helium said.

The lawman commissioner of West Garo Hills has been asked to taxable a factual study of a campaigner prevented from filing his information papers, helium said.

Filing of nominations for the GHADC elections began connected Monday (March 9) and volition proceed till March 16, portion scrutiny of information papers is scheduled for March 17.

No campaigner filed information papers connected the archetypal day, arsenic governmental parties lone collected information forms aft briefings astatine the lawman commissioner’s office.

“There is nary program arsenic specified to widen the information period. We are assessing the concern and waiting for reports. We volition spot arsenic the concern unfolds,” Mr. Diengdoh added.