SHILLONG: For 26-year-old Testiphul Paliar, a mother of two, who was lodged in Shillong jail, the arrest of CSWO President Agnes Kharshiing was a blessing in disguise.
In jail during her short stay, Kharshiing helped the woman to secure bail as nobody came to help her after she was jailed since September this year.
The woman hailing from Dum shohksoin, near Rambrai West Khasi Hills was never produced before the court after her arrest on September 30.
She narrated her plight to Kharshiing, who in turn took up the matter with the jailor.
A visit of the magistrate from Nongstoin to the jail resulted in the woman securing bail on PR bond.
Quoting Paliar, Kharshiing said that she was implicated in a case when she went to fetch her children, a two-year-old and a six-year-old from Mawthir village in West Khasi Hills after her mother took them for a wedding in the village.
The mother wanted to stay back at the village and hence, she wanted Paliar to take back the children.
However, when she went to the village to fetch the children, her cousin who had an eye on her land at Mawthir village trapped her in a case which resulted in her landing at Shillong jail. The cousin agreed to hand over only the two-year-old child to her.
A Dorbar meeting was also called and the people who attended prevented her from going back.
The Dorbar threatened that they usually put three conditions for those who trespass into the village which included death penalty or hand her over to the police. The third condition was not to allow her entry anymore to the village. Dorbar also termed her as a trouble maker.
To avoid confrontation and looking at her safety, the mother asked them to hand over her daughter to the police.
Subsequently, she was charged with section 506 CrPC which is a criminal intimidation, the same charge which was imposed on Kharshiing for trying to obstruct the demolition of houses at Umsawli.
“I spoke to the jailor day before yesterday and he instructed me to write an application on behalf of the victim. After I submitted the application, the magistrate from Nongstoin who happened to come to the jail released her on PR bond”.
The woman profusely thanked Kharshiing by saying it was God who sent her to secure her release.