Eyewitnesses say victim was last seen with Nongrah child murder accused
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 6: In a chilling incident that has sent shockwaves through the city, police have recovered the lifeless body of 39-year-old Eilang Phawa with disturbing indications that she was last seen in the company of the same person recently arrested in connection with the cold-blooded murder of a seven-year-old boy in Nongrah.
Phawa’s lifeless body was discovered on Monday morning, tightly packed inside a plastic courier sack and dumped in a drain between Nongrah Lummarboh and Lapalang — a clear sign of premeditated foul play and a desperate attempt to conceal the crime.
Locals are now speaking out in horror. Bobina Dhar, president of Seng Longkmie Lum Marboh Nongrah, revealed to reporters at NEIGRIHMS that several residents came forward after seeing media reports of Phawa’s disappearance. They claimed the victim was last seen walking with the accused, Kennedy Khongsit, and even sharing tea together at a local stall in the area.
Dhar cautioned that these eyewitness accounts still need verification through CCTV footage, which police have already seized from the Nongrah locality as part of the intensifying investigation.
The gruesome discovery unfolded when residents noticed an oddly secured sack in a drain on Monday morning. Upon closer inspection, they raised the alarm and alerted the Rangbah Shnong, Rangbah Dong, and Rynjah Police Station. When authorities arrived and tore open the sack, they were confronted with the shocking sight of a human body inside.
A relative of the deceased, Sandra Syiem, said the family had been desperately searching for Phawa since she went missing on March 20 from her residence in Lawjynriew, Nongthymmai. They combed through forests and several areas, including the one behind the Children’s Hospital, but to no avail.
Syiem confirmed the recovered body is indeed that of Eilang Phawa, who was hearing impaired and faced severe difficulty communicating — making her an even more vulnerable target in this horrific crime.
East Khasi Hills SP Vivek Syiem has confirmed the case is being treated as a homicide. A police team immediately rushed to the spot after receiving the gruesome report. The body has been shifted to NEIGRIHMS for post-mortem examination, and investigators believe it had been lying there for several days.
With a suspect already identified in this alleged murder — and the same man, Kennedy Khongsit, currently in custody for the separate but equally disturbing murder of a seven-year-old boy — fears are growing that a “dangerous predator” has been operating in the area.
Further investigation is under way as terrified residents wonder how many more victims might be discovered.
