By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 2: A local court on Thursday evening remanded Kennedy Khongsit (32), the prime accused in the murder of a seven-year-old boy from Nongrah, to eight days of police custody.
Police had sought 12 days’ custody for further investigation, but the court granted only eight days.
Earlier in the day, East Khasi Hills police produced Khongsit for a medical examination at Shillong Civil Hospital before presenting him in court.
Khongsit, a resident of Lum Marboh, Nongrah, and a neighbour of the victim, was arrested on Wednesday by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by the Superintendent of Police (City). The breakthrough came nearly six months after the crime.
The incident occurred on October 8, 2025. A missing report was lodged at Rynjah Police Station around 8:20 pm after the seven-year-old orphan, Kyrshanbor Kharmudai, went missing from his neighbourhood at about 4:00 pm that afternoon. Police, along with members of the Nongrah Dorbar Shnong, immediately launched a search operation but could not trace the boy.
The next morning, the body of the child was found by the roadside at Mawtngen, Mawpat. A forensic team examined the scene, and family members later identified the body. A post-mortem examination conducted at NEIGRIHMS confirmed that the cause of death was asphyxia due to smothering.
Following the arrest, the victim’s family and relatives demanded the strictest punishment for the accused. Speaking to reporters, Balarisha Kharmudai, a relative of the deceased, expressed shock over Khongsit’s alleged involvement.
“We never imagined he could commit such a heinous crime,” she said. “Kennedy was well known to us. The young boy would often visit his house happily to watch television.”
Balarisha added that the family was stunned by the revelation and had noticed a change in Khongsit’s behaviour after the incident. “He had stopped interacting normally with people,” she said.
Meanwhile, women’s groups from Nongrah village lauded the police for their prompt action in arresting the accused and restoring a sense of safety in the locality. They described the incident as unprecedented in the area and said it had deeply shocked the entire community.
During interrogation, Khongsit reportedly confessed to the crime. According to police, the accused had been cleaning a water tank on the afternoon of October 8 and asked the boy to bring him a brush and a bucket. When the child, who was watching television, did not comply immediately, Khongsit allegedly became enraged and smothered him by covering his mouth and nose. The incident is believed to have taken place between 2:30 pm and 3:00 pm at the accused’s residence.
