From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: Nineteen sacks of paddy weighing around 1900 kgs were allegedly stolen by some miscreants including a government official from the house of one Ms. Bun Kam (Sariang) of Lumstong village Nongjngi in West Jaintia hills District recently.
According to a complaint lodged by Ms. Kam with Jowai Police, on Tuesday last week, four persons — Mar Snieh and Rime Mulen from Lumstong village and Darius Snieha, a junior Engineer with PWD and Head Snieh of Ionglwit village, Nongjngi came to her house where paddy was stored- locally known ‘Myndoo’ located at a place called ‘Moopynien’ and took away nineteen sacks of paddy. The stolen paddy were taken in a truck (ML-04-1074) owned by Darius Snieh and was later ununloaded in the house of one Opas Snieh at Jri Khla, Nongjngi. Besides, Kam also alleged that they stole 15Kgs rice, cooking vessels and a doa used by farmers. This is not the first instance of theft of paddy involving the same group. Earlier, one Stand Mukhim of Mukhnang village had also lodged a complaint with the Jowai Police against the same persons for allegedly stealing fifteen sacks of paddy from a paddy storage place. According to Mukhim, six persons including Mar Snieh, Rime Mulen, Darius Snieh, Head Snieh, Opas Snieh and Lawi Mulen came to a place called Mukhnang and stole 15 sacks of paddy and they were uploaded in the same truck (ML-04-1074) and unloaded at the residence of Opas Snieh at Jri-Khla, Nongjngi.
Sources informed that the reason behind stealing of paddy is just revenge. A source said, “There is a dispute over the paddy fields known as ‘Umseiniong’ and Iongka-Ur’ between the Raij Nongjngi and the family of one Ms. Dear Mulen of Lumstong village since 2009”.
” Darius Snieh has allegedly sponsored the Mulen family to pursue the court case with an intention to grab the entire paddy field of the Raij Nongjngi”, a source added.
Sources also informed that Ms. Kam and Mukhim have no connections with dispute as they were only using the paddy field for cultivation . “She (Ms. Kam) has been continuously using the paddy field for 22 years without any disturbances with a minimum contribution to the Dolloi of Nongjngi Elaka who is the care taker of the ‘Services land’ (locally known as ‘Rek Dolloi’) of the the Raij Nongjngi. The same was with Mukhim as he is only using the land for cultivation. The land belonged to the Raij Nongjngi which is the ‘Rek Dolloi’
This Correspondent tried to contact Darius Snieh to get his reponse related to the matter, but failed.