SHILLONG — Complaints about alleged money collection from trucks took the Khasi Students’ Union to Mawkhanu and Thangshalai, where the group said its spot verification found the practice taking place.
Led by CEC Education Secretary Alerick Kharjana, the KSU team visited Diengpasoh and Thangshalai on September 30 after receiving complaints from the public. The union said the visit was meant to establish whether the alleged collections were actually happening.
KSU claimed its members recorded video clips during the verification, purportedly showing police personnel taking money from trucks.
The alleged amount, according to the union, ranges between ₹200 and ₹500 per truck, including vehicles carrying goods, minerals and food items. KSU questioned how such collections could allegedly continue during both day and night without the knowledge of senior police officials.
The union has pointed directly at the district administration, questioning whether East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem and Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Baranwal were aware of the practice. It has also raised allegations involving other authorities, including ministers, but provided no established evidence of their involvement.
KSU is demanding an independent inquiry, removal of the SP and DC, and action if the allegations are established. It said a formal complaint will be filed with the authorities and that surprise checks will continue.
The union has also linked the alleged collections to the wider cost of transporting essential goods, arguing that such payments could eventually be passed on to consumers.
The footage is now out. KSU wants the authorities to establish who was taking the money and whether the practice had backing beyond the roadside.
