From Our Correspondent
TURA, May 16: The Chambugong and Tegite Mahari (clan) from Tura have jointly filed an FIR over the alleged suicide of Diana Dimre Ch Marak, a second-year Civil Engineering student of Shillong Polytechnic, claiming that circumstantial evidence indicate that her death was a pure case of foul play rather than suicide.
Daughter of Predinson T Sangma and Previlla Ch Marak, who reside at the MSME residential quarters at Dakopgre in Tura, Diana’s body was found hanging on the institute’s hostel premises on May 6. After preliminary investigation, police had treated the case as suicide even as they added that nothing could be ruled out at the time.
“It was on May 7 while performing the cleansing prior to her burial that the body was found to have multiple injuries, namely a big burnt mark on her neck, injury marks on both her hands, the back of the neck and on her right elbow,” the clan members stated in the FIR filed with the Mawlai police station through Tura PS.
Photos of the multiple injuries were also submitted along with the FIR.
According to the FIR, the victim on May 5 had informed her parents about an argument she had with her study companions over the unsuccessful conduct of a farewell function for outgoing seniors, who blamed her for the same as she was responsible for collecting money and managing the event. The FIR claimed that the victim was under immense pressure from her colleagues that she even named five girls (not named for obvious reasons) who had threatened her.
The clan members stated in the FIR that the body of the victim was taken down from the window grill without the presence of family members and relatives which is against the law. The relatives also questioned how it would have been possible for the victim to climb and hang herself at the place where her body was discovered.
“The place where she reportedly hung herself is very high, having a slab with two window grills to which only an acrobat could have climbed without help. It would be impossible for a girl of height five feet to climb there and hang herself,” they stated.
The FIR also maintained that it was unimaginable that the Additional Director of Shillong Polytechnic, WL Warjri never called to inform the father of her child’s death till date.
“No responsible authority or any faculty from the institute accompanied the body at the time of the handing over on May 6. Not even a condolence message was received by the parents from the Polytechnic authorities,” the FIR said.
Reiterating that the mentioned facts pointed to foul play and not suicide in connection with their daughter’s death, the clan members urged that a case be registered at the earliest and an investigation initiated so that the culprits can be arrested and justice given to the victim and her family members.