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Guwahati, June 28: The Shallang police in West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya apprehended four accused on charges of operating an illicit coke plant.
The arrested accuseds have been identified as Ashish Arya, Khraebok Rongrin, Hopeful Nongtdu and Yaman Bansal.
Reportedly, Ashisha and Yaman hail from Assam while the other two were the resident of East Jaintia Hills.
Acting on a tip-off, the police conducted an operation which led to the discovery and subsequent dismantling of the clandestine coke plant.
Meanwhile, all the four accused were produced before the court and were later sent to judicial custody.
The incident followed after the Meghalaya High Court had directed the state police to trace and arrest all owners and operators of illegal coke plant in the state.
The illegal coke plant is suspected to have been running for a considerable period and posed a significant threat to the environment and publich health in Meghalaya.
The local authorities in collaboration with the relevant departments and agencies are conducting a thorough investigation to determine the full extent of the operation and identify any potential accomplices.
They have also urged the public to actively participate in reporting any suspicious activities that may be detrimental to the region’s well-being.
In East Jaintia Hills alone, there are a total of 13 coke oven plants that are currently operational and 38 others non-operational, reports revealed.