SHILLONG: A 36-year-old woman vendor was murdered in Police Bazar around 1.30am on Sunday, a delayed report said.
Police said Anjana Sinha sold fritters and other fast food on Keating Road.
Anjana’s husband Suresh, a resident of Polo, told police that on that night, he went to pick her up from Police Bazar. When he could not find her, he went in search for Anjana and found her lying at the gate of Lady Keane College.
Anjana had injuries on her neck and face. Suresh took her to Shillong Civil Hospital where she was declared brought dead.
Anjana, who was an active member of the Meghalaya and Greater Shillong Progressive Hawkers and Street Vendors Association, had been running the stall for the past 13 years. The couple has two sons, one in Class XI and the other in Class VII. The police said it is a murder case and the miscreants slit her throat with a sharp weapon. They are examining the footages of the CCTV cameras installed in Police Bazar from that night. The police have also sought CCTV footages from the nearby shops.
A murder case has been registered and the body has been handed over to the family.
The Thma U Rangli-Juki (TUR) condemned the murder and sought justice for the woman’s family.
The association alleged that she was murdered after she shut her shop around 1 am and had gone to store her goods.
Meanwhile, hawkers in the city shut their businesses on Monday to be with the victim’s family during cremation.
A candlelight vigil was held at Khyndailad on Monday evening.
“The incident shows how vulnerable hawkers and vendors, who work long hours to eke out a living. The state ought to guarantee the right to work, dignity and security of all its citizens, including hawkers,” TUR said in a statement.
“In addition, implementation of the central act on street vending is urgently needed to ensure proper support and rights to hawkers, including safety from forceful eviction, safe storage facilities, etc ,” the association added.
