JOWAI, Jan 19: The Jowai District and Sessions Court on Wednesday awarded life imprisonment to Nidamon Chullet, the ruling NPP’s working president for the Jaintia Hills region, for a murder committed 14 years ago.
He was accused of murdering one Ewanmida Lhuid in February 2008 following a brawl. He was later convicted under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.
The case against Chullet was based on an FIR lodged on February 10, 2008. One Mewanki Lhuid had in the FIR alleged that his brother Ewanmida was murdered by some unknown persons the previous night and his body was found in front of the DC’s office at Iawmusiang in Jowai.
The victim was the nephew of MS Lhuid, a retired IAS officer.
Asking the police to take Chullet into custody, the court also sentenced co-accused Coming Raban to seven years in prison under Section 201. Chullet was the prime accused in the grievous assault on CSWO leaders Agnes Kharshiing and Amita Sangma while they were trying to expose the illegal coal mining and transportation in the East Khasi Hills district on November 8, 2018.
He surrendered before the police after absconding for several days.
Sometime after the assault, Chullet had met Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and had donated some amount to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for COVID-19.
Chullet is also the president of the Jaintia Hills Truck Owners’ Association.
The NPP leadership in Meghalaya had been defending Chullet in the case of assault on Kharshiing and Sangma while maintaining that no action can be taken against him until he is proven guilty.