A sharp legal standoff has erupted in Meghalaya after the state Tourism Department demanded criminal action against enforcement officials from the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC). In an official complaint lodged with the Laban Police Station, state authorities accused council inspectors of illegally invading, locking down, and looting equipment from the construction camp of the state-backed Shillong Peak Ropeway Project located at Madan Laban.
Details of the Site Intrusion at Madan Laban
The disputed action unfolded on Tuesday between 10:30 am and 12:00 noon at the ropeway project's Lower Terminal Point site in Madan Laban. According to state officials, a team led by KHADC enforcement staff stormed the camp without advance notice, statutory jurisdiction, or authorization from the state government. The premises served as an operational base and temporary logistics hub for the executing joint venture, M/S KEC-TCL (JV), rather than a site for active heavy construction or permanent structural operations. Officials stressed that the ropeway represents a critical, high-priority public utility initiative designed to boost regional tourism under the direct control of the state administration.
Official Complaint and Accused Personnel
In a formal petition dated October 27 addressed to the Officer-in-Charge of the Laban Police Station, the Director of Tourism, representing both the Government of Meghalaya and the Meghalaya Ropeway Development Authority (MRDA), formally petitioned for the registration of a First Information Report (FIR). The written complaint explicitly names Kordor Synrem, an inspector in the KHADC Enforcement Wing, along with several unidentified council personnel. The state administration has levied severe charges against the team, including unlawful entry onto government premises, unauthorized confiscation of project assets, and the illegal closure of an active state infrastructure site.
Confiscated Assets and Coerced Undertakings
During the crackdown, the council's enforcement team forcibly evicted site personnel and compiled a formal Seizure List citing district trade regulations. Council staff confiscated key operational items and office property, including machinery imported from France through manufacturer Poma for the ropeway's installation. Beyond the technical gear, enforcement personnel seized four Godrej units, 11 chairs, eight tables, desktop computers, a Xerox machine, CCTV monitoring gear, and a diesel generator (DG) set. Before leaving, the council team attached physical padlocks and cloth seals to the camp doors, effectively locking the executing firm out of its own facility. Furthermore, the complaint highlights that project site managers Jai Prakash Singh and Tarkeshwar Singh were coerced into signing involuntary undertakings, locally termed Zima-namas.
Legal Validity and Arguments Over District Regulations
The Tourism Department has mounted a strong legal challenge against the enforcement action, arguing that the council team misused its administrative authority. The district council invoked Sections 3 and 7A of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (Trading by Non-Tribals) Regulation, 1954, to justify the raid. However, state officials countered that establishing a temporary contractor camp for a state-sanctioned public infrastructure venture cannot legally be classified as commercial trading or retail business by a non-tribal entity. The complaint asserts that sealing the facility wilfully obstructed public servants and authorized government contractors from delivering an approved public welfare project, while the forced entry and coerced signatures constitute criminal trespass, wrongful restraint, and extortionate conduct.
Remedial Requests to Law Enforcement
To restore operations at the strategic tourism site, the Tourism Department requested immediate police intervention. Beyond urging the registration of an FIR under relevant statutory provisions, the government petitioned law enforcement to remove the illegal seals from the office doors and order the immediate return of all confiscated machinery and office assets. To prevent further interference or unauthorized raids, the department also requested the deployment of adequate police security at the Madan Laban camp.
