SHILLONG: Shillong Police have confirmed that the trio, who were arrested on charges of murdering local taxi driver Hapish Nongbri, were drug addicts.
The motive of the crime was to loot the taxi driver so that they cpuld buy drugs, the police informed.
The body of 53-year-old Nongbri was found in Mawiong Sung near Puriang, East Khasi Hills, after the accused led the police to the spot. Nongbri hailed from Malki.
Police are looking for a fourth suspect who is still on the run. According to police, the fourth accused allegedly witnessed the crime being committed.
The trio were arrested from Lawsohtun (Block-II). The deceased, who hailed from Pdengshnong Malki in Shillong, had gone missing on June 15 along with his local cab (ML05 G 7436). The taxi was subsequently found from the parking space of the Forest and Environment department at Lawmali Pyllun on Wednesday last.
The arrested people include two local youths and one from Arunachal Pradesh.
The four assaulted the deceased with a screw driver and looted Rs 900 from him besides also ‘confessing that they withdrew Rs 7000 with his ATM card and then took the deceased to Diengpasoh before proceeding towards the Shillong Bypass and thence to Mawiong Sung where they dumped his body.
