SHILLONG, Jan 18: In an attempt to reveal the facts in regard with the recent case of assault in Mawsynram, three villages under Hima Bhowal — Laitumsaw, Pomblang and Tlongpleng — on Tuesday cleared the air on the incident wherein four youths from Upper Shillong area were allegedly assaulted in what is being dubbed as a case involving practice of menshohnoh (witchcraft).
Recalling how the events unfolded that day, Rangbah Shnong of Laitumsaw, F Thongni, clarified that the youth volunteers of the village, during their patrol, saw the four youths who had parked their vehicle along the roadside. Thongni claimed that the youths sped away when the volunteers started to ask them questions about the reason for parking their vehicle during the late hours. The volunteers then immediately called the people of Pomblang village to stop the vehicle and question the four youths, he added.
Narrating the events that supposedly occurred in Pomblang, the Rangbah Shnong of Pomblang, T Syiemlieh, informed that the youths in the village came out of their houses to stop the vehicle after receiving the call.
The four youths refused to stop their vehicle on being requested, he said, adding that they immediately called the people of Tlongpleng village, where the rest of the story happened, to stop the vehicle after the youths dismissed their request.
The Rangbah Shnong of Tlongpleng K Disiar said that villagers, on being informed about the incident, put stones and woods in the middle of the road in an attempt to stop the vehicle.
According to Disiar, the vehicle, approaching at high speed, went off the road and collided with a wall near the road, which resulted in damage to the vehicle’s windshield.
The Tlongpleng Rangbah Shnong revealed that the charges against the four youths of practicing witchcraft were levelled by the angry mob. He informed that the youths were taken back to Laitumsaw village for questioning, which, according to him, was done to calm down the irate mob.
Disiar further stated that matter was taken to the Syiem of Hima Bhowal, Kynsai N Syiem, who had insisted on the four youths to be handed over to the police.
The three village heads have also claimed that the incident had not taken place at 8 pm of January 8 but around 1 am on January 9.
It may be noted that a video of the alleged attack had gone viral on social media.
The youths, identified as Bankhrawnam Thangkhiew, Seibor Kharbudon, Shanbor Syiemlieh and Khotsbunlang Nongnengdaloi, had filed an FIR against the villagers of Tlongpleng with Mawsynram Police Station.
According to the youths, they were confronted by people with sharp weapons, and owing to fear, they did not stop and continued driving. They even claimed that stones were pelted at their vehicle while they were attempting to flee.