SHILLONG, June 20: The Meghalaya Assembly Committee on Empowerment of Women has expressed concern over the heinous case of filicide and felt it was necessary for the police, the Meghalaya State Commission for Women and the Meghalaya State Commission for Protection of Child Rights to discuss the registering of complaints by the mother of the two minors.
“These three parties (police, MSCW & MSCPCR) have been asked to meet immediately and take cognisance of all the omissions and commissions that may have occurred,” the Assembly committee’s chairperson Ampareen Lyngdoh said on Monday. A report has also been sought on the status of the action taken by the police.
Joefreeson Jana reportedly killed his children at Wahktieh to take revenge on their mother for lodging a police complaint of domestic violence against him.
Director-General of Police Lajja Ram Bishnoi, MSCW chairperson Phidalia Toi and MSCPCR chairperson Iamonlang M Syiem deposed before the committee on Monday in connection with the May 30 filicide case that had rocked the state.
The MACEW chairperson said the police chief and the heads of the two commissions agreed during the meeting that all cases of domestic violence reported to the police stations across the state need to be pursued seriously.
“An important issue discussed in the meeting was the filing of reports of missing children. We felt such cases should be pursued fast and charge sheets filed without unnecessary delay,” she said, declining to disclose details of the case that is now in court.
“We will ensure that justice to the two innocent victims is not denied,” Lyngdoh said.
She further said that the DGP has been asked to ensure that those manning the police stations should be aware of the rights of the citizens.
At the same time, the state government has decided to provide an ex-gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the family of the two minors allegedly killed by their father.
MACEW chairperson Ampareen Lyngdoh told reporters that the Social Welfare department was processing the ex-gratia payment to be given to the family members of the slain minors.
“We hope this will happen quickly and it will help the family get the best of lawyers to fight this case in the court,” she said.
The members of the MACEW who attended the meeting included Ampati MLA Miani Shira and her Nongpoh counterpart Mayralborn Syiem.
