Three more cases involving six persons registered
SHILLONG: A day after Mawhati MLA Julius Dorphang was produced before the court after his arrest, another accused in the rape of the 14-year-old Ichamati girl surrendered before the police on Sunday.
With this, the total number of persons who surrendered and were arrested in connection with the case rose to eight.
The accused, Wallambok Khongsit, who is the owner of the house at Madanrting where the girl was residing along with her guardians, Mamoni Parveen and husband Sandip Biswa, surrendered with the help of his advocate Nitin Khera in the presence of Officer in Charge of Madanriting police station Inspector B.K Mishra.
Sources said since the accused wanted to co-operate with the police, he sought the help of the advocate to surrender. He will be produced before the court on Monday and it is expected that policy custody of the accused for a few days will be sought.
Earlier, another accused in the crime Madan Bahadur Thapa, who was a client at Marvelene’s Inn at Rilbong, had surrendered before the officer in charge of Madanrting police station.
In addition, those who were earlier arrested in connection with the trafficking and sex racket case include the waiter of Marvelene’s Inn Usha Deb Barman, the kingpin Mamoni Parveen and her husband Sandip Biswa, other accomplices Tarisha Mary Kharbamon and Mona Lisa Shangpliang.
In another development, three more cases were registered on Sunday by police at Madanrting based on the three FIRs filed by the chairperson of the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Meena Kharkongor.
The first FIR mentioned a Khasi person from Dawki for the rape of the minor, the second FIR named one Hassan, another person running archery counter, and third a Khasi person from Borsora, besides an Army man.
In the third FIR, the name of one Professor Roy was mentioned.
Sources said though the details were sketchy, police registered the case against the accused mentioned in the three FIRs under various provisions of POCSO to be investigated by a woman police officer.
The sex racket case came to the light following the FIR lodged by the minor girl after she was sexually exploited on the night of December 15 at Marvelene’s Inn run by the family of Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh.