SHILLONG, Feb 22: The wife and other family members of TMC vice-president and MLA George B. Lyngdoh were allegedly attacked and harassed by supporters of the NPP outside their residence in Umroi Labansaro village.
The incident happened two days after Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma patted the state government on the law-and-order and security fronts.
In a police complaint filed at the Khapmara PIC of the Ri-Bhoi district, Lyngdoh’s wife Therezia A. Syiem said that a group of men attacked, harassed and threatened her along with her brothers on Monday night. She also said no one came to help despite four calls to the local police station.
According to the complainant, a vehicle appeared outside her house at around 12:15 am on Monday playing loud music. Upon spotting the complainant, the accused persons hurled abuses.
When the police did not come to the family’s rescue after two calls, the complainant approached the car and requested the occupants to reduce the volume as her three-year-old son was unwell.
The miscreants attacked her instead and tried to drag her inside the car. She sustained multiple injuries as a result.
The miscreants drove away when the complainant’s brothers stepped out to help her.
They followed the car in a bid to catch the miscreants but were stopped and attacked by a crowd that had apparently been waiting for them at Umroi Nongrah village.
“Out of the said gathering, some started physically assaulting the undersigned and her brothers, including the driver of the vehicle,” the police complaint read.
“In the process of assaulting the undersigned, they had also outraged her modesty. One person… kicked the undersigned on her legs and stomach while others were provoking the gathering/their friends to kill my brother… by putting a rope around his neck and dragging him towards the crowd,” it added.
Lyngdoh’s family members managed to escape but their ordeal did not end as the miscreants followed them back and intimidated them once again. The police, they said, did not come to the rescue after two more calls were made between 3 and 4 am, the complainant said.
“It appeared that the police intentionally did not turn up so that those individuals involved in the incident could carry out their nefarious motive. It is unfortunate to point out that if the police had taken cognisance on the basis of information given by my husband, the said culprit(s) could have been arrested for creating a nuisance, physically assaulting, and outraging the modesty of a woman,” the complainant wrote.
She added that the incident happened a few days after a WhatsApp message was circulated asking people from the village to inform them if MLA Lyngdoh was conducting house visits in the area. “It is apparent from the said message that the said individuals had some ill motive against the undersigned and my husband,” the complainant wrote.
Lyngdoh said a group of NPP supporters created a nuisance outside the residence of his family and spewed venom at them.
“When my wife and two brothers-in-law went to talk to them, they were manhandled. My wife, kicked and punched, sustained bruises on her limbs and face,” he said.
He said while the police remained unresponsive, the harassment and instigation continued throughout the night with NPP supporters playing the party’s music loudly while driving past their house.
No one has been arrested so far, Lyngdoh said.
NPP refutes allegations
The NPP has refuted the allegations that its party workers attacked the TMC legislator’s family members at Umroi. It asked the ECI to step in and facilitate a flag march in the area as many NPP supporters have been beaten up in the area on a regular basis.
“Regarding this report, I spoke to my party workers and leaders from Umroi. According to them, the TMC is desperate since they have not been able to convince the people to vote for them. So, there are many instances of violence happening in Umroi,” NPP spokesperson Bajop Lyngdoh said.
He said according to the inputs he received from the ground, no NPP leader or supporter went to attack the TMC leader’s family.
“We know that our party workers are being beaten up in the Umroi area,” he said.
“We appeal for peace and we especially urge the TMC not to bring the Bengal way of elections here. If you want to fight an election, fight free and fair. That is all from our end,” the NPP spokesperson said.
