From Our Correspondent
WILLIAMNAGAR, April 12: Relatives of Talseng T. Sangma, a Person with Disabilities (PwD) who died from injuries sustained in a brutal assault, have strongly questioned the East Garo Hills Police over the delay in arresting the accused, even four days after the incident.
According to the FIR filed by the family at Williamnagar Police Station on April 9, a group of at least 16 people forcibly entered Talseng’s house at Dagal Nachikol village around 11 am on April 8 and launched a vicious assault on him. His wife, Merolin M. Sangma, and his elderly father, Japansing M. Marak, who tried to intervene, were also beaten up and suffered grievous injuries.
Talseng, a resident of Dagal Nachikol with a known history of mental disorder, was immediately rushed to Songsak Primary Health Centre (PHC) for treatment. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was referred to Williamnagar Civil Hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries before reaching the hospital.
The FIR named 13 residents from Dagal Nachikol and three from the nearby village of Nangapa as the accused.
The relatives claimed that the same group had also targeted the victim’s wife and father, but they were saved by the timely intervention of other family members.
While the exact motive behind the assault remains unclear, the victim’s relatives expressed shock and anger over the police’s inaction.
“This is wrong. The victim was a PwD who had been struggling with mental health issues and had sought treatment from several institutions. Everyone in the village knew about his condition. We cannot understand why he was subjected to such a brutal assault,” said a relative.
They added, “What is even more disturbing is that four days after Talseng’s death, none of the named accused have been arrested or even taken into custody for questioning. We only want justice for the deceased.”
Confirming the incident, East Garo Hills Superintendent of Police Stephen Rynjah said the accused are currently in hiding, though the police have gathered some clues about their whereabouts. He assured that an investigation is under way and arrests are expected soon.
