SHILLONG: It was a sketch of the accused that helped the police to arrest those involved in the gruesome killing of Hapish Nongbri.
Nongbri, a resident of Pdengshnong Malki, had gone missing since June 15 and his body was recovered on June 21 from Mawiong Sung near Puriang.
According to the police, the accused, who were addicted to drugs, abducted the victim, extorted money and dumped the body in a forest area after killing him.
East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Claudia Lyngwa said the sketch of the prime accused was prepared by a police constable and a comparison was made with the records available with the police, which revealed the identity of the accused as Freddy Sohtun.
Later, police arrested two others — Lastborn Ksanlah and Tenzing.
Police are trying to trace the fourth accused in the crime.
All the three accused were arrested from Lawsohtun (Block II).
Claudia said after the murder, the accused had sold the mobile phone of the victim to some workers, who were summoned by the police.
It was after tracking the mobile phone of the victim that police got the clue.
The workers told the police that they bought it from a person at Bara Bazar.
The workers narrated the facial features of the accused and the constable made the sketch which matched with the photo of Sohtun which was already available in the police records, Claudia said
Nongbri, an employee of the Soil and Water Conservation department posted in Nongpoh, used to ply his local taxi on holidays.
The taxi was hired by the four accused from Police Bazar on June 15 night ostensibly to go to NEIGRIHMS.
After reaching Itshyrwat, however, the four attacked the victim with a screwdriver and extorted money from him.
According to the police, the accused continued to attack the victim till he revealed the PIN of his ATM card. They then withdrew Rs 7,000 using the card.
After finding that the victim was already dead, the accused carried the body to Mawiong Sung through Diengpasoh and Shillong By Pass road.
Earlier on June 19, the abandoned taxi of the victim was found from the parking lot of Forest department at Lawmali Pyllun.
The fourth accused is yet to be arrested by the police as he is on the run.
