SHILLONG: Haviva Passah, the lessee of the Stay Four Season’s Guest House, maintained that she had no political links as alleged by MLA South Shillong Sanbor Shullai and vowed to fight till the end to secure justice.
The issue cropped up after she filed an FIR against Shullai for outraging her modesty and other charges on Saturday following which the latter filed a counter FIR on the same day pointing out that she along with two others had forcibly entered his residential office with a motive to tarnish his image.
Talking to reporters on Monday, she informed that her brother Mickey Passah was at the guest house when a group of candidates coming to attend army recruitment rally approached him requesting for a night stay.
It may be noted that army recruitment candidates, who came from neighboring states, blocked the areas of Kench’s Trace last Sunday and even entered the veranda of local residences to rest for the night.
Things took an ugly turn when Shullai arrived and drove away the candidates and the guests from the guest house situated above the Community Hall, Kench’s Trace. He even snatched the lease agreement documents signed between her and Shullai from her brother’s hand.
Haviva’s brother was in charge while she was away in Delhi. She rushed to Shillong on August 4 and went to meet Shullai on the same day in the evening.
“There were some staffers at his residential office. I went in to ask him as to what wrong we have committed that prompted him to react in such a manner,” she said.
“He looked at me and said, ‘I don’t know you, I don’t need to explain.’ I told him I don’t need explanation as I only want my agreement papers back. At this juncture, he got up from his seat and pushed me aside hitting me on my chest and injuring my upper lip,” she added.
Referring to the allegations that she was drunk and used a dangerous weapon, she said, “If I was carrying a weapon, will not the PSO try to defend Shullai? Even the medical reports indicated that there was no alcohol.”
Asserting that Shullai threw the luggage of the guests and candidates, locked the guests’ rooms, ill treated the candidates while they were having food, Passah went on to say that approaching the police turned futile.
“Even the Laban Police station in-charge talked about compromising (on the issue),” she said, adding that the guests, who had gone out for sightseeing, thought of filing an FIR against her brother after their rooms were locked by Shullai and luggage thrown outside.
“Bah (Sanbor) demanded the guests to leave insisting that no outsiders (dkhar) should be allowed to stay. There are 11 rooms in which six rooms are occupied by guests and four rooms vacant,” she said.
She pointed out that her brother gave the four vacant rooms to the army recruitment candidates comprising 15-20 people, to spend the night at the guest house since they would be leaving early the next morning.
Clarifying her stand, she said, “I am not involved in politics. I am a businesswoman with no political background. I want justice and will stand till the end as it is my right.”
Stating that the lease agreement with Shullai was signed for a period of five years, she maintained a clear stand, “I will not give it away. Seeing that the guest house was running successfully, he took advantage of it.”
Asked if he was jealous of that the guest house was run successfully, she replied in the positive.