SHILLONG: Accounts related to the alleged assault incident of Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) supporters at Sohiong were found to be contradictory as blame game continued between Congress and HSPDP.
HSPDP candidate from Sohiong, Samlin Malniang told reporters that the assaulted HSPDP supporters were coming from a party meeting at Krang while the Congress had a meeting at Weilyngkut in which Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh was also in attendance.
The alleged assault incident took place at Dira which is near Weilyngkut which falls under Sohiong Constituency on January 19.
Narrating the incident, he said that the HSPDP supporters suddenly encountered two gypsy vehicles in which the security guards of Lyngdoh sat.
“They were playing the HSPDP theme song and were driving slowly as there were pedestrians on the road, but were suddenly stopped by them and then assaulted,” he said.
Malniang reported that the victims told him that they did not say anything provoking. “They apologised but they (the security guards) said that if they tell anybody about the incident, they will kill them,” he alleged.
Condemning the incident, he termed the action of the security guards of Lyngdoh as “uncivilized” and demanded that the security guards be suspended.
Malniang had spoken to the victims of the assault and told them to file an FIR. He informed that the relatives of the victim, Minit Kurbah has filed an FIR and submitted to the Police Outpost at Sohiong.
It may be mentioned that there were four occupants of the vehicle and three were assaulted while one, Minit Kurbah received injuries on his gums, ribs area and beaten with the butt of a gun.
Meanwhile, contrary to the comments of Malniang, president of Sohiong Block Congress Committee (SBCC), Phrang Kharpran, said that he spoke to the guards present on that day and he was informed that the HSPDP supporters were driving in high speed and were drunk.
“The security guards tried to stop the vehicle but the supporters of HSPDP refused. Again, they almost hit some of the children on the road, following which they were stopped. On getting down from the vehicle, they argued on why they had to be stopped as it was in their own village,” he said.
Kharpran alleged that bottles of alcohol were also found in their vehicle. He went on to add that the HSPDP supporters swore and cursed which prompted the escort to tell them not to curse and swear.
“The security guards did not beat them but it was the public who pushed them and the blame went to the security guards of Lyngdoh,” Kharpran.
He denied that the security guards assaulted the HSPDP supporters, not even with the butt of the gun. “They were holding the gun so they got the blame but the people who beat and assaulted the alcoholics were the locals of Weilyngkut,” he added.