SHILLONG, June 29: West Khasi Hills (WKH) Police have arrested a 23-year-old man accused of assaulting his estranged wife after a video of the incident went viral on social media, prompting the police to register a suo motu case and launch an investigation.
West Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Herbert Kharkongor, said the incident occurred on the evening of June 28 along National Highway-44E at the Nongstoin Bypass Road but was not reported to any police station in the district.
Following the circulation of the video online, police registered a suo motu case at Nongstoin Police Station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and initiated an investigation.
During the probe, police identified the accused as Fasdingson Wanniang (23) of Mawkadiang village, who is the ex-husband of the 22-year-old victim. According to the SP, the couple had been living separately for more than one-and-a-half years.
“During the course of investigation, and based on source information, the accused involved in committing the act was identified. Other persons seen in the video were examined and found to be key witnesses present at the place of occurrence,” Kharkongor said.
Police said the victim had gone out with her friends when they encountered the accused, who allegedly chased and assaulted her.
The accused was apprehended on Monday morning by officers of Nongstoin Police Station with the assistance of the Village Defence Primary Committee Nongstoin Area (VDPCNA) and the Village Defence Party (VDP) of Mawkadiang village. He was subsequently arrested and produced before the court.
Kharkongor said all necessary assistance is being provided to the victim and that she has been referred to the One Stop Centre in Nongstoin for counselling and other support services.
Meanwhile, the police have warned members of the public against circulating the viral video, stating that sharing such content could attract legal action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.
The SP stressed that the identity of victims of assault must be protected and cautioned that sharing or forwarding the video could amount to re-victimisation and may hamper the ongoing investigation.
Police have appealed to anyone with information related to the incident to contact the Police Control Room or dial 112, assuring that the identity of informants will be kept confidential.
“Strict action will be taken against the offender as per law. The public is requested to cooperate with the investigation and refrain from sharing sensitive content on social media,” Kharkongor said.
