Chokpot murder
SHILLONG: The police claim that there was an attempt to molest and rape the 35-year-old woman who was killed by GNLA militants at Chokpot is under a cloud. The complaints of the relatives of the victim did not mention anything about such attempts.
IG (Operations) GHP Raju had given the molestation and the rape angle to the media which resulted in the issue receiving national and international attention. It was made out that the woman was killed since she resisted rape.
Bracketing the incident with a series of rape cases in Uttar Pradesh, the media highlighted the issue as the heroic act of the woman from Chokpot who had to sacrifice her life to prevent rape.
The police were now appear to be taking cover under the new definition of rape which had come into effect after the Damini incident in Delhi in December 2012. According to the Meghalaya police, dragging a woman came under the new definition of rape and as per reports, the militants had dragged the woman and placed her in a chair before pumping bullets on her head
The GNLA had denied the molestation and rape angle by saying that this was the creation of the police and the vested interests to divert the attention.
But, the killing of the woman in cold blood has evoked large scale condemnation.
There were similar cases of attack on women and a child in the past by the militants, but there was hardly any condemnation from the pressure groups or Mothers’ Union.
Grenalish D Sangma, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at Bolsong area of Bajengdoba in North Garo Hills on January 9 this year. The woman was waylaid on her way home and shot dead by unknown assailants, as per police reports. On October 26, 2011, a 40 year old woman identified as Rabilla Marak,from Nengmandalgre village, East Garo Hills, was seriously injured after GNLA militants fired at her. The militants had branded her as a police informer. The husband of the woman, a widow with four children, was earlier shot dead by militant leader Sohan D Shira when he was with ANVC.
In December, 2011, four year old Kadimea Momin sustained bullet injuries when GNLA militants attacked her father J.N. Marak, a constable who was also hit by a bullet. The girl had run to her father when the militants fired at the constable and she was injured.