Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in Shillong, militants plant 2 kg IED in front of ruling party office

The outlawed Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council has claimed responsibility for planting the bomb as a mark of protest against the killing of their leader Cheristerfield Thangkhiew in August.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu was on a visit in Shillong, when a live IED was detected at the entrance of ruling National People's Party Office in the city. (Photo | Twitter, Conrad Sangma)

GUWAHATI: On a day Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu was in Shillong on an official tour, the militants planted a bomb at the entrance of the National People’s Party which heads Meghalaya’s ruling coalition.

The 2 kg improvised explosive device (IED) was planted by banned militant organisation Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) in protest against the killing of its former general secretary Cheristerfield Thangkhiew.

The IED was kept concealed in a bag and spotted by a passerby. It was defused by the police later.

Thangkhiew was gunned down at his Shillong residence on August 13 by the police in an alleged fake encounter. The police had swooped down on his house in connection with an IED blast in the popular touristic hill station.

His killing had triggered sporadic incidents of arson and vandalism.