Guwahati:

Two students’ union members were arrested on Wednesday after two deaths last week in Meghalaya’s Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, putting the state on high alert.

Police have arrested Khasi Students Union (KSU) members Shanborlang Shati and Mesadapbor Skhembil for allegedly killing two men following a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Ichamati last week. The two men were taken to court and detained by police for seven days.

The bodies of Ishan Singh and Sujit Dutta were found near the Bangladesh border, about 80 kilometers from Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya state. Police have not yet confirmed whether the killings are related to the protests.

A group of 300 people led by KSU gathered at Sohra police station to protest against the arrests, demanding that its cadres not be “hunted like militants”.

A police vehicle was burnt after unidentified persons hurled petrol bombs at Malvi police station in Shillong, East Khasi Hills District police chief Rituraji Ravi said, adding that the arrests were made based on “strong evidence” . “They protested against the arrests and we have explained that we are investigating both murders and the law will take its own course,” he said.

Members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) have written to President Draupadi Murmu over the March 27 killings, claiming that the murders are “a stark reminder that non-tribals in Meghalaya Communities were subjected to a reign of terror.”

“Two innocent Hindus (Ishan Singh and Sujit Dutta) were arrested in Ichamati village in East Khasi Hills District of Meghalaya following an anti-CAA rally. Brutal killing. An anti-CAA rally organized by a pressure group resulted in the murder of two innocent Hindus As widely reported in the media, two innocent Hindus were murdered by unknown miscreants,” the letter read.