Two petrol bombs were thrown at the Directorate of Mineral Resources office in Shillong on Wednesday afternoon, with one setting a staff member’s car on fire.
Details of the Attack
The attack occurred at around 3:30 pm at the Risa Colony office. One device struck the boundary wall while the second landed inside the compound and hit a Maruti Alto belonging to a woman employee. Fire crews brought the blaze under control within four to five minutes. No injuries were reported.
DMR Director M.B. Tongper said he was in a meeting when he heard a noise resembling breaking bottles outside. Officials subsequently discovered the fire inside the compound.
Investigation and Police Response
Police and Fire and Emergency Services were alerted following the incident, and the Deputy Commissioner was informed. Two FIRs have been registered—one by Tongper and another by the owner of the damaged vehicle.
Personnel from Laitumkhrah Police Station questioned witnesses, while DMR officials handed over CCTV footage from the premises to investigators. Police are examining the recordings and other evidence to determine how the attackers approached the office.
The DMR office had not previously reported an attack of this nature.
Government Response
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, accompanied by Chief Secretary Shakil P. Ahammed and other senior officials, visited the office later to assess the damage. He said the state government would cover the cost of repairing the employee’s damaged vehicle and announced plans to strengthen CCTV surveillance at government offices across Meghalaya as part of broader security measures following a series of attacks.
Tongper said Sangma conveyed the decision during his visit.
Pattern of Recent Attacks
The attack on the DMR office comes amid a string of petrol bomb incidents targeting government establishments and police stations in Shillong. On September 12, two unidentified individuals on a two-wheeler allegedly threw two petrol bombs at Laban Police Station around 2:30 am. Earlier, on August 20, a petrol bomb was thrown into the compound of Nongmensong Police Station at around 9:30 pm, setting a chair on fire. No injuries were reported in either incident.