SHILLONG: Two accused in the sensational sex racket case involving a 14-year-old girl, walked out of Shillong jail on Tuesday after they secured bail.
Both Wanlambok Khonsgit (Jhandu) and Madan Bahadur Thapa had surrendered before the then officer in charge of Madanrting police station, B.K Mishra, on December 25 last year and January 8 this year, respectively. Later they were arrested under various sections of the POCSO Act.
An official source said on Tuesday that the Special Judge (POCSO) had recently granted bail to the duo represented by their lawyer Nitin Khera but the delay in their release from the jail was that they had to execute the bond which had taken some time.
After the fulfillment of all formalities related to the bail bond, they were released from Shillong jail on Tuesday, the source added.
The charge against Khongsit from Demthring was that he had sexually abused the minor girl thrice. The traffickers, Mamoni Parveen, her husband Sandip Biswa, and other accomplices Tarisha Mary Kharbamon and Mona Lisa Shangpliang were either the tenants or neighbours of Khongsit. The trafficked girl was residing with Mamoni and husband Biswa.
As per the FIR, Khongsit abused the girl at Mamoni’s rented house at Demthring and yet again on two occasions at his Umpling house.
Thapa was a client at Marvelene’s Inn in Rilbong run by the family of Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh.
As per the complaint, Madan abused the girl twice at Marvelene’s Inn in December last year.
The sex racket case came to light following an FIR lodged by the minor girl after she was sexually exploited at Marvelene’s Inn on the night of December 15.
Then followed the arrest of the waiter of the Inn, Usha Deb Barman, kingpin Mamoni and her husband Sandip, and other accomplices Tarisha and Mona.
Recently, the manager of the Inn, Edmund Kharir, secured bail on medical grounds.
The prominent arrest was that of Mawhati MLA Julius Dorphang for his alleged involvement in raping the minor girl twice, once in a guest house in Motinagar and on another occasion somewhere in Ri Bhoi.
