By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 24: The East Khasi Hills police on Sunday said they are awaiting the post-mortem report of Trophimos Khongmawloh, even as his father alleged that the condition of the exhumed body indicated his son had been brutally assaulted before his death.
The victim’s father, Netnobiweit Khongsdoh, told reporters that he was heartbroken after seeing his son’s body during a spot post-mortem conducted at Pynter on May 18.
“The body was badly damaged, with broken bones and severe injuries,” he said.
Khongsdoh said the body, though decomposed, bore visible injuries on the face, hands, and other parts, which he believes point to severe physical assault.
He said he had approached the authorities to thank them for taking cognisance of his complaint against the village headman and members of the Village Defence Party (VDP), who he accused of assaulting his son to death. He rejected the earlier claim that his son died by suicide after allegedly consuming poison.
The father said he has faith in the legal process and is awaiting the post-mortem findings, hoping the report will establish the truth and ensure justice for his son.
The exhumation and spot post-mortem were conducted as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations that Khongmawloh died after being assaulted inside the shnong hall at Pynter on the night of April 7.
He was buried on April 9, a day after his body was allegedly brought home by the VDP members. The exhumation was carried out 40 days after the burial.
The case took a dramatic turn after a video surfaced nearly a month later, allegedly showing a man being brutally assaulted. Khongsdoh subsequently filed a complaint, claiming the person in the footage was his son.
Following the emergence of the video, a zero FIR was registered at Sadar Police Station on May 5, and Khongsdoh later recorded his statement at the Pynursla Police Station.
Sources said nine persons, including village headman Fullmoon Khongsdoh, have secured anticipatory bail from the District Council Court.
Police said further action, including possible arrests of those named in the complaint, will depend on the findings of the post-mortem report.
Meanwhile, local sources alleged that Khongmawloh’s body was found lying in a pool of blood inside the village community hall on the morning of April 8 and claimed that a broken baton recovered from the premises may indicate the severity of the alleged assault.
