TURA, Aug 6: Cases of forced entry and assault over personal enmity in some villages of North Garo Hills are being passed off as attacks by dacoits and even spells by “evil spirits” sending some villagers into a frenzy as rumor-mongers feed fabricated stories onto social media, making the situation more tense.
“Three cases in the district that had to do with personal enmity and even drunkenness are being given a false narrative by mischief makers who are putting up all kinds of stories to spread fear among the people,” clarified North Garo Hills Superintendent of Police Abraham T Sangma.
The stories of “ghosts” and the bogeyman began surfacing after a man who got cut and injured his ear on Thursday night was passed off by some as a victim of kidnappers and the “high spirits”.
It turned out that the man, identified as Tangseng Sangma of Mongpangro village, under Mendipathar police station, was indeed in ‘high spirits’ when he got injured.
“The victim had been drinking with a friend and was highly intoxicated while returning home. On the way he brushed against four individuals on a village road which led to him being slapped. He is suspected to have cut his ear during the fall,” reveals the district police chief.
The same night, in another village called Soksan, also under Mendipather region, a couple who returned from work found that their house had been vandalised. Unsubstantiated stories began emerging about a gang entering homes with evil intent.
“We cracked the case and found out that a few days ago the son of the house had fished from his neighbour’s pond without permission. It led to an altercation over compensation and all indication is that the neighbor forced entry to their house,” narrated SP Sangma.
The third incident was of two men entering a house in the dead of night and assaulting the mother of the home with sticks on two occasions. The incident occurred at remote Pakmari village of North Garo Hills and the men are suspected to be locals from the area.
People believe personal enmity over some issue is behind the assault and a team of the district police has been dispatched to the village to conduct an investigation and bring the culprits to book.
