SHILLONG, SEPT 21: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has issued a legal notice to two senior police officers of East Khasi Hills for allegedly attributing the September 18 naka-checking incident at Urkaliar to the Union.

The notice is addressed to Dangsan Khyriem, MPS, SP (City) Shillong, and Hari Prasant M.R., IPS, SP (Traffic), East Khasi Hills, and has been sent through the advocate of the KSU Central Executive Council.

As per police, on September 18 afternoon, during routine naka-checking near Samkhamti Petrol Pump, two persons on a scooty allegedly tried to avoid the checkpoint and rammed into the Additional SP (Traffic), injuring him. They were chased, caught, their scooty seized and they were produced before court.

KSU said it strongly objects to the subsequent media briefings where the arrested duo was described as suspected KSU members.

“There is no credible or admissible material to show the accused are members or associates of the KSU. We have asked the authorities to clarify on what basis this link was communicated to the public,” said Pynshai Kupar M Dkhar, Information & Publicity Secretary, KSU CEC.

Dkhar said the Union is not interfering with the case.

“We are not obstructing the investigation or the judicial process. Criminal liability has to be fixed on evidence and due process. You cannot publicly associate an organisation with an alleged crime on mere suspicion or unverified information,” he said.

He said such statements have dented the image of the Union.”Linking the accused to KSU without verification has caused reputational harm and creates public misunderstanding about the Union,” he said.

The notice lists two demands within 15 days – a formal retraction and public apology published with equal prominence in the same media platforms, and an undertaking to cease and desist from making any further false, unverified or derogatory statements against the KSU, its members or its leadership.

Failing compliance, the Union has warned of legal action.

“If the demands are not met in 15 days, KSU will be constrained to pursue appropriate civil and criminal remedies under law for defamatory statements,” Dkhar said.

He added, “We respect the investigation and judicial proceedings in the September 18 case. But respect for law must apply equally to all, and public statements by authorities must be based on verified facts and evidence.”