Cong MLA gives clean chit to Paul’s VIP entourage

SHILLONG, Dec 6: Lone Congress MLA Ronnie V Lyngdoh on Friday took a U-turn from his earlier stand and virtually gave a clean chit to the VIP entourage of Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh in the hit-and-run case of November 15 which led to the death of a biker.
Lyngdoh on Friday cited independent sources as saying that an escort vehicle in a minister’s convoy was not responsible for the death of a biker during the Cherry Blossom Festival.
“After verifying from independent sources, I think the convoy was not going at a high speed and the biker, trying to overtake it from either side, hit one of the vehicles. His two-wheeler ricocheted and another vehicle coming from the opposite direction hit the bike,” he said.
“I tried to verify and the sources said the convoy could not have moved at a high speed as there were a lot of vehicles and people,” Lyngdoh said.
Earlier, Congress criticised the fatal accident as an outcome of the VIP culture, emphasising that while VIPs may have the right of way, the public has an equal right to safety on the roads.
The accident happened at Madan Kurkalang in Umroi when the police escort vehicle accompanying Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh to the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival, struck the bike bearing registration number ML-05 AD 0566. The biker, Hudderfield Rymbui, a resident of Nongtalang in West Jaintia Hills, was declared dead on arrival at the hospital while a female pillion rider survived with minor injuries. Reports indicate that none of the vehicles in the VIP convoy stopped to assist the victims and sped away.
Terming the incident “high-handed and insensitive,” Ronnie Lyngdoh had expressed outrage. “Accidents happen, and it is not about assigning blame. The priority in such cases should be to take the injured to the hospital and ensure they receive medical treatment. This is very unfortunate and highlights the insensitivity of those responsible for the escort vehicle,” he had said.