SHILLONG, July 22: Two minor girls from Mawpait Tlongpleng village in the Balat area of East Khasi Hills, reported missing on Wednesday morning, were traced safely at Nongrah in Shillong later in the afternoon, ending a tense day-long search.
The girls — 13-year-old Mebaaihun Thongni and 11-year-old Mebariiaka Thongni — were produced before the Child Welfare Committee after a medical examination at Ganesh Das Maternity and Child Hospital on Wednesday evening.
Family members said the girls had left home in the morning intending to go only to nearby Pomblang village. Instead, they boarded a bus from Balat heading for Shillong. Relatives, however, noted that the girls had packed clothes before leaving, raising suspicions that the journey may have been planned.
“Maybe they were scared to tell us the real reason. But seeing that they had already packed their clothes, it appears they had planned to leave the village,” a family member said.
The 11-year-old told her family that the two had taken seats in the front of the bus, fallen asleep, and woken up only when the vehicle reached Anjalee Bus Stand at Mawlonghat. Recalling previous visits to the city, she remembered that her father’s relatives lived at Nongrah. After getting off the bus, the girls spotted a Maximo maxi cab displaying “Nongrah” and boarded it.
Despite it being only her third visit to Shillong, the younger girl successfully guided her friend to the neighbourhood. “It was she who showed the way. They are very close friends, apart from being neighbours and belonging to the same clan,” another relative said.
Family members described the 11-year-old as a responsible child who often looks after her younger siblings — aged one, four and nine — whenever her mother and stepfather are away.
“She cooks, fetches water and takes care of the children at home. She is very mature for her age,” a relative said.
It remains unclear why the two left their houses.
After the girls went missing, relatives launched their own search, visiting bus stands in Ri-Bhoi, Nongstoin and Jowai while appealing to the public for information.
“We were extremely worried because of the recent cases involving missing minors. We feared something terrible might have happened,” a family member said.
The girls were traced at Nongrah around 2 pm following a police search operation. They were taken to Rynjah Police Station, where their statements were recorded before being handed over to the Child Welfare Committee.
