Shillong July 23: Following mob attack at Mahendraganj police station on Monday, the law and order situation at Mahendraganj area in South West Garo Hills district was under control and peaceful on Tuesday.

Though no report of any violence or untoward incident on Tuesday, but curfew was relaxed for 10 hours from 8.00 am and re-imposed it from 6.00 pm Tuesday to 8.00 am Wednesday to prevent vested interests from taking advantage of the situation.

Section 144 CrPC is still in force in the area and movement of people has been restricted particularly in the trouble prone areas like Mahendraganj Bazar, Bagicha-Thana area junction and other areas.

Police have not recovered the INSAS rifle which was taken away by one person with unsound mind on Sunday night.

“The gun and the person who ran away with the gun was not found till today,” a police official said.

It may be mentioned that one mentally ill person, identified as Ahidul Islam, attempted to attack the general public with a dao at Nadichar under Mahendraganj Police Station on Sunday at around 8 pm.

Meghalaya Assistant Inspector General of Police (A), G.K. Iangrai said that when police got the information, they immediately rushed to the spot to thwart the attempt of the person. However, the person also attacked the police personnel and officers who were trying to stop him from inflicting any casualty on the general public.

“In the process of trying to catch hold of the unsound mind person, one of the police personnel dropped his service rifle and while trying to recover his rifle, he fell into the river,” Iangrai said.

After this, Ahidul Islam grabbed the service rifle and started running away from the spot, after which, Sub Inspector, E.R. Marak, who was present there, resorted to blank shooting to deter the person from carrying away the service rifle and from fleeing away.

However on Monday, at around 11 am, a mob ghearoed the Mahendraganj police station after rumours spread that the mentally ill person was shot dead by police.

The mob pelted stones which resulted in damage of many official vehicles, including a fire tender of the Meghalaya Fire &Emergency Service.

As the mob attack deteriorated the law and order in Mahendraganj area, the District Administration of South West Garo Hills promulgated Section 144 CrPC in the area.