By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: His two-storeyed residential building was torched by a 4000-strong mob and his property damaged, but Tremelin Nongsiej, who was branded as a witchcraft practitioner, is willing to forget and forgive as long as the incident is not repeated.
Speaking at a public meeting organised by the Peace Committee at St Fernando School at Sawsymper village near Mawsynram on Saturday, Nongsiej said that his family does not want to drag this issue further.
Maintaining that they do not want any compensation for the damages incurred, he said that the family’s main concern is to see that normalcy returns to the area.
“I hope that people would learn from this incident and would not be misled by superstitious beliefs. I don’t want any other family to face the same tragedy,” Nongsiej said.
Meanwhile, despite a compromise being worked out between Nongsiej and the villagers of Mawryngkang, the East Khasi Hills district administration said that the decision to withdraw the case against the 19 people, who have been arrested for burning down the former’s residential building, would be decided by the court.
“It is for the court to take a final call whether to accept or reject the withdrawal of the case which was registered against the arrested people for their involvement in destroying of the property of Tremelin Nongsiej,” Additional Deputy Commissioner DM Wahlang said during the meeting.
Wahlang, however, urged the Rangbah Shnong, police and the affected family to write to the court informing that the two parties have decided to come to a compromise.
“The arrests were made on the directive of the district administration and neither the victim nor the Rangbah Shnong had lodged a complaint to police regarding the same,” Wahlang said.
According to him, the police can arrest more people in the days to come depending on the confession of those who have already
been apprehended.
“The law would take its own course as long as the court does not issue a fresh order on the matter. I only hope that the court would agree to the appeal of withdrawing the case against the 19 people,” Wahlang said.
He informed that the district administration can withdraw the imposition of Section 144 CrPC in the area only after a period of two months from the day it was imposed.
Meanwhile, Peace Committee chairman Heson Nongsiej said that this incident is an example for the other villages within Mawsynram area.
“I am grateful to the affected family for agreeing to forgive and forget whatever had happened,” he said.
Around four thousand villagers hailing from various villages within Sawymper area under Mawsynram, East Khasi Hills recently attacked and set on fire the two-storied residential building of Nongsiej after alleging him of practicing witchcraft.
It is reported that property worth crores of rupees were damaged in the attack by the angry mob.
Police informed that the two-storied residential building along with household articles including cash worth Rs 18 lakh and eighteen tolas of gold ornaments were destroyed in the attack.
It was also informed that the mob torched one vehicle (Mahindra Scorpio) and also broke the windshields of five trucks, three Tata Sumos and one Tata mobile.