DTO suspended for raping minor step-daughters

SHILLONG: The District Transport Officer in Nongstoin, C. Khonglam, has been suspended for allegedly raping his two minor step-daughters at his office quarters when he was posted in Jowai.
An official source said on Tuesday that the commissioner and secretary of the Transport Department, T. Dkhar, had issued the suspension order on Monday considering the gravity of the matter and also based on the service rules.
There has been a spurt in the cases of rape and sexual assault of minors recently.
The official added that once a government official is under trial, he can be suspended.
The case is pending in the lower court under POCSO and the Juvenile Justice Acts.
Khonglam, who had allegedly raped two of his minor step-daughters, one 14 and the other 12 years of age, from 2014 till July 2015 when they were staying with him, was granted interim bail last May.
His driver, Phrangchwa Mulieh, was also allegedly involved in the crime as per the FIR.
The FIR said every night the father used to force the wife and the daughters to take alcohol and he watched pornographic movies in front of them. Whenever the children complained, he used to beat them and threatened them with dire consequences.
Their aunt came to know of the incident only when the victims, who are his sister’s daughters, told her about the matter after the death of their mother on October 15, 2015. Hence there was a delay in filing the FIR and the matter came to light after the children who came to stay with their aunt revealed their ordeal to her.