By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 16: Thousands of citizens gathered on Tuesday afternoon to bid farewell to four-year-old Insaphira Lyngdoh Mawnai, who was laid to rest at the Presbyterian Church cemetery in Nongrah Nonglumbrei.
Among those who paid their last respects were leaders of various youth organisations, political leaders, and members of the public who offered condolences to the bereaved family. Many mourners broke down in tears as they grieved the child’s untimely death.
Insaphira went missing from her home on Sunday and was found dead the following morning.
The tragic incident has left many women in the community shaken. During the funeral service, several mothers said the crime had instilled fear among parents and created a sense of insecurity in society.
Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday said that Meghalaya Police is in an advanced stage of investigation into the death of the four-year-old girl from Nonglumbrei, Nongrah.
Stating that the police are working overtime on this case, he said that Deputy Chief Minister in charge of Home, Prestone Tynsong, has informed him that the case would be cracked soon.
Earlier, outgoing Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh called upon society to work with the system to arrest such trends as “there are monsters in our midst”.
The Meghalaya State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) on Tuesday urged the police and all investigating agencies to speed up the probe into the gruesome murder of the four-year-old girl.
“Swift and thorough investigation is vital, not only to ensure justice, but also to provide the bereaved family with some measure of closure from this painful and tragic episode,” MSCPCR Chairperson Agatha K. Sangma said in a statement.
She said that the Commission had immediately reached out to the family upon receiving the shocking news. Members of the Commission were present with the grieving household throughout the day, extending their support. They also ensured that all necessary formalities at NEIGRIHMS, including the autopsy, were carried out while closely monitoring the matter.
Reiterating the Commission’s stand, Sangma stressed that the loss of any life is deeply distressing, and even more so when it is the life of a child, whose innocence and future have been so abruptly taken away. She conveyed the Commission’s deepest condolences to the family and expressed solidarity with them in this most difficult time.
At the same time, she reminded the public that circulating videos or images of children in distressing circumstances on social media is “highly insensitive, unethical, and a violation of the law.” She cautioned that such acts fall under the Juvenile Justice Act and attract strict penal consequences, including imprisonment.
Meanwhile, the gruesome murder continued to spark widespread condemnation, with various groups demanding strictest punished for the perpetrators.
The Synjuk ki Seng Samla Shnong Shillong City chairman, Pynshai Diengdoh, denounced the incident and said the organisation would soon meet higher authorities to demand stronger laws.
Synjuk Ki Nongniah Taxi Sor bad Khapsor, assistant general secretary, Pynsuk Youroi, said those responsible for the crime deserved the death penalty.
Earlier, the Synjuk Ki Nongsynshar Shnong Nongthymmai Pyllun (SKNSNP) organised a rally to condemn the killing.
Speaking to the media, SKNSNP president Bantylli Nari described those behind the crime as “bloodthirsty individuals” and demanded strict action without leniency.
“The law must not be weak, especially when dealing with such heinous acts,” he said.
Supporting the call for justice, Dorbar Shnong Nongrah secretary P. Pyngrope said the incident was beyond imagination.
He recalled how community members had worked tirelessly to trace the missing child, only to be heartbroken upon discovering her lifeless body.
The Synjuk has urged the SIT to conduct a thorough probe and ensure the culprits face the strictest punishment under the law.
Meghalaya Together expresses its profound shock and anguish at the brutal killing of the 4-year-old girl at Nongrah, Shillong.
“Such a cruel and inhuman act shakes the very conscience of our society and must be condemned in the strongest terms,” it said.
The Bharatiya Gorkha Parisangh, Meghalaya Chapter, expresses its deepest shock and outrage over the gruesome killing of the 4-year-old girl at Nongrah.
“Such a barbaric and heart-wrenching crime is beyond human values and cannot be tolerated in any civilised society. We earnestly appeal to the concerned authorities to conduct a thorough and speedy investigation and to ensure that the guilty is punished with the harshest of penalties. Only swift and exemplary action will restore people’s faith in justice and act as a deterrent to such heinous crimes in the future,” it said in a statement.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad Meghalaya condemned the brutal killing and urged the state administrative authorities to conduct thorough investigation and apprehend the hands behind the crime.
The Shillong Bengali Association also condemned the brutal killing of the minor.
“Such an inhuman act has no place in our society. We urge the authorities to investigate the matter on a priority basis and ensure that the culprit is brought to justice at the earliest. Strict and exemplary punishment must be given so that it serves as a deterrent against such heinous crimes in the future,”it said in a statement.
The Seng Samla Mawlai Pyllun will organise a candlelight vigil at Mawlai Nonglum Petrol Pump at 5:30 pm on Thursday as a mark of protest against the gruesome killing.
“We will gather at Lad Mawroh at 5 pm and proceed together to Mawlai Petrol Pump to show our support,” the SSMP said.
The Synjuk Seng Samla Shnong (Shillong City) has conveyed its condolences to the family of the minor.
Strongly condemning the incident, it urged the authorities to take the matter seriously and track down those responsible for the crime.