Woman molested, two others seriously injured
From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN: One woman was molested while another two were severely beaten by Nepali villagers of Umwali near Langpih in West Khasi Hills District, reports say.
Narrating the entire incident, Piosding Lyngdoh, headman of Umwali informed that the Nepali residents of Umwali were constructing a 1-km road from Umwali to Umshum and during the construction some of the Nepali residents had encroached on the lands and properties of Khasi villagers.
The headman claimed that he had reported the matter to the in charge of the Meghalaya Police Outpost on Friday, who, acting on the complaint, halted the construction of the road. However, the construction resumed after the police personnel left the scene.
Finding no other option, the headman then called for a Village Council meeting on Saturday attended by the Nepali residents of Umwali. The headman asked the Nepali residents to seek permission before encroaching into the properties of the Khasis, but the Nepali residents refused to comply with the request, saying that they did not require permission to dig their own lands. The meeting ended without any result.
As the construction continued, the headman went to complain to the Police Outpost, leaving behind three women – Sngewbhalin Paliar, Plemis Lyngdoh and Syrpailin Lyngdoh, all of Umwali at the road construction site. The headman said that after he left the spot, the construction workers at the site, numbering around 15, started abusing the women, both physically and verbally and even tried to molest Syrpailin.
Hearing the screams of the women, three more women from the village came to their aid. Seeing the three other women, the workers then attacked Sngewbhalin and Plemis with sticks and spades. Both of them sustained head injuries. The other women then escaped from the scene and informed the villagers who rushed to the spot. By then the workers had fled from the scene.
The same evening, the in charge of the Meghalaya Police Outpost and his Assam counterpart met at the scene and tried to resolve the matter by halting the road construction.
Meanwhile both the injured girls have been admitted at the Nongstoin Civil Hospital.