Police zeroing in on persons with victim on March 6-7: HDR tells House
SHILLONG: Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh said on Thursday police are zeroing in on the persons who were with the Mawprem woman whose body was found at Itshyrwat on Tuesday. No arrests have been made so far in connection with the murder case.
Making a suo motu statement in the Assembly on Thursday, a day before the matter was raised by UDP’s Paul Lyngdoh, the Home minister said all efforts are being made to ascertain the persons who would have been with the woman on the intervening night on March 6 to 7.
“Police are actively pursuing the available leads and the case is being treated as a Special Report case which implies that it will be given top priority in investigation,” Lyngdoh said.
He said the cause of death will be ascertained only after postmortem and added that the SP (city) had requested NEIGRIHMS authorities to expedite the postmortem report.
Narrating the incident, the Home minister said around 6.20 am on March 7, Nongmynsong Outpost received information that the body of a female was found lying about 25 metres away from Ishyrwat Junction on the road to Nongmynsong.
The Meghalaya police’s dog squad was pressed into service and experts from forensic science laboratory were called in to examine the place of occurrence.
Woman police SI K.D Sangma of Rynjah police station conducted the inquest on the spot. During the inquest, no significant fatal injury marks were found on the body except abrasions on lower limb, he said.
The Home minister said efforts were made to identify the deceased woman and her photograph was circulated among police stations in East Khasi Hills.
“Later around 4 pm, the Officer-in-Charge of Lumdiengjri police station informed that from the available police records, he believed that the deceased was one Jenisha Jyrwa (30), daughter of Elmolin Jyrwa of Mawprem, Bishop Falls,” Lyngdoh said.
The family members of the victim were informed who then came to Nongmynsong Outpost and identified the body.
“A suo motu case has been registered under Rynjah PS vide Case No. 20(03)17 under Section 302 of the IPC and SI O. Syiemlieh, in charge of Nongmynsong Outpost, has been entrusted with the investigation. The cause of death is yet to be known.
He said East Khasi Hills Police will investigate this case professionally and with due diligence.
The Home minister reiterated that the government and the police department are committed to fight the malice of crime against women and children.
He said that all cases of crime against women and children are given and will be given adequate attention.
“While the recent case is under investigation, the government appealed to all sections of the people to extend help to the police in preventing crime against women and children.
“I also appeal to the public that they should come forward to provide information in such cases and I also assure that confidentiality will be maintained when people provide such information”, he said.
The Home minister also sought the help and support of MLAs in the House to help the government and the police department to deal with such crimes to ensure safety and security of women and children in the State.
Later, Paul Lyngdoh brought to the notice of the government about lack of professionalism on the part of the police by saying that the place from where the body of the woman was recovered was not sanitised. “As soon as police were informed about the matter, the entire area should have been sanitised and police should not have allowed the crowd around,” Lyngdoh said.
He also expressed concern over the leak of visuals of the woman with graphic details on social media. He said for the relatives, it only added insult to injury.
The UDP member also said the postmortem report should have been ready by now as the body was recovered on Tuesday.