State rights panels silent on issue
SHILLONG: Despite the rise in number of crimes against women and minor girls, both the State Commission for Women and the recently formed Child Rights Commission are silent on the matter.
Relatives of the victims are eager to get help, but they are not able to approach the Commissions since these bodies are yet to become pro-active, so much so that only when the media contacts them to get their reactions on various crimes against women the heads of these Commissions, which are politically appointed, speak out.
Otherwise, there is hardly any condemnation from them against various atrocities committed against women and children in the State.
The Commissions are vested with powers that enable them to put pressure on police to speed up investigation in the crimes against women and children, but there is hardly any activity in this regard by either the Commissions or their politically appointed heads.
It was on July 27 that the semi-naked body of 24-year-old Shoma Khongwir was found floating on Wahumkhrah River at Demseiniong.
The victim’s mother, Salonsar Khongwir, has since then been running from pillar to post to seek justice for her daughter.
Though two migrant labourers were arrested in connection with the crime, the mother believes that there could be a kingpin of the crime as the statement of arrested persons does not tally with the facts.
While the arrested migrants confessed to the police that they had killed the victim just to snatch away her gold chain, the mother reiterates that her daughter was not wearing any gold ornament at the time of her disappearance.
“I have contacted the police personnel to have a fair probe,” the mother said on Sunday. In a case of crime against a child, the body of eleven-year-old Swagarika Das was found floating on the river near Burnside, Rilbong on August 10.
Das, a class VI student of Queenie School, Laban, and the youngest daughter of Sunil Das had gone to a nearby shop from her residence at New Kench’s Trace on August 10 afternoon and later in the evening her body was fished out from the river near Burnside. Mystery lingers on who committed the crime.
Though police questioned Dharmendra Rai, son-in-law of Sunil Das, he has not revealed anything. Rai has also denied his role in the crime.
The father of the victim awaits justice and even made a query on what way the Child Rights Commission can help him to have access to justice.
Another unnatural death reported in the city in recent times is that of Malti Sharma (47), wife of Keshav Bahadur of Raj Bhavan Complex. Malti’s body was found floating at Ward’s Lake on August 20 at around 6 am. Though police have termed it as a case of suicide, the actual cause of the drowning is yet to be ascertained.
In yet another case, on August 21, the body of a 70-year-old woman, identified as Pristina Langstieh of Mylliem Madan Ing Syiem, was recovered from a river at Mylliem village.
Four bodies recovered in a month
July 27: Body of Shoma Khongwir (24) recovered from Wahumkhrah river at Demseiniong
Aug.10: Body of Swagarika Das (11) fished out from the river at Burnside, Rilbong
Aug.20: Body of Malti Sharma (47) recovered from Ward’s Lake
Aug.21: Body of Pristina Langstieh (70) fished out from a river at Mylliem village