SHILLONG: A group of blind people, who were staying as tenants at Ranee’s Abode, Temple Road, Lower Lachumiere have alleged that they, including an American citizen, Dr. Ted Moallem, working for the blind, were assaulted and abused by their house owners, Vennetta Kharsyntiew, wife of senior lawyer SP Mahanta and their daughter Ranee Kharsyntiew, who is a judicial magistrate.
Dr Ted is working for the blind people.
However, after counter allegations surfaced over Dr Ted stating that he allegedly misbehaved with the ladies by pushing them and others, police arrested him.
Earlier, addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Director of Blind Lead Trust (BLT), a non-profit organisation, Jitendra Dkhar, who is blind himself, alleged that they were assaulted by their landlord on June 26 following an issue over shortage of water.
However, the house owner said several times, the tenants were asked to vacate the house, but in vain.
Terming the assault as discrimination against blind people, Dkhar said he had often taken up with the landlord about the shortage of water but they did not pay any heed to their requests.
Dkhar said they were paying a rent of Rs 16,000 per month but the landlord has not been giving any receipts to them.
On the other hand, Impulse NGO Director, Hasina Kharbhih told reporters that she along with her two colleagues were eyewitnesses to the incident which took place on June 20 even as she informed that she has already submitted her statements to the police.
Kharbhih said they heard a huge commotion on June 20 and when they went down, they saw Dr Ted was hurt and others were begging the landlords not to hurt him.
Rani allegedly took food from the kids and threw it on their face. She held Ted and pushed him,” Kharbhih added.
Allegation of outraging modesty
The American aid worker, Ted was arrested for allegedly outraging the modesty of the magistrate as per the FIR.
The arrest of the aid worker was made by the Shillong police after Venetta filed an FIR with Laitumkhrah police station stating that on June 20 evening caretaker and in- charge of the blind people staying in her house assaulted, manhandled, and threatened her daughter and son- in-law besides outraging the modesty of her daughter by physically assaulting her.
The FIR also stated that he used profanity and told them to get out of the house in front of all the children and caretaker.
Dr Ted and his organisation, Blind Lead Trust, have also filed a counter complaint against the magistrate for assaulting him.
Dr Ted was arrested on Friday after he went to the police station to report the abuse by the magistrate. Another complaint was filed against the magistrate’s mother by Blind Lead Trust’s director Jitendra Dkhar.
The magistrate and her mother own a five-storey- building in the Lachumiere area of the city in which the ground floor was rented out to Blind Lead Trust and three blind persons who were occupying the rented rooms.
Informing that they are trying to secure a bail for Dr. Ted, Impulse NGO leader, Kharbhih stated that she had already intimidated the incident to the US Consulate and they will file a complaint on the incident with the Commissioner of Disability.
She stated that though Kharsyntiew had filed an FIR against Ted accusing him of molestation, Kharbhih, however added that it was just the opposite as she was the one shouting at him.
