YEAR ENDER | Brutal Murder Cases that shocked Meghalaya in 2019
TURA | Dec 30, 2019:
The Garo Hills region of Meghalaya saw a continuing trend of murders, though this time the cases related to militancy taking the lives were relatively none.
The year saw apparent friends killing friends, wife murdering husbands, husband murdering wife among many cases that took place in the region – with the ages of those murdered going up from 6 month infants to 70 year olds'.
Murders most foul
** One of the first instances of murder this year was that of a betel nut trader from Assam's Mankachar. The trader was betrayed by his driver who helped local criminals to firstly kidnap the victim, identified as Roshidul Islam. WGH police were able to crack the case easily leading to the arrests of the criminals as well as the driver, Aziz. The incident took place near Dalu PS during the month of April.
** The bonhomie of friendship did not last much after two people, apparently friends of the victim strangled him to death in the month of April. The apparent motive was that the suspect had a grudge against his friend and wanted to kill him to teach him a lesson. In this case, Alom Mondal (18) was the victim, with Sofial Sheikh (18) Malu Sheikh (24) being the two murderers. The incident took place under the jurisdiction of the Phulbari PS in WGH.
** Garo Hills was shaken after an 8-year-old from the village of Ruga under South Garo Hills (SGH) was raped and murdered by an employee of her father after the accused waylaid the girl while she was returning home. The accused, Bitchon Ghosh was arrested after he confessed to the crime. The brutal rape and murder saw many protests and shook the entire region. The rape and murder took place in May this year.
** Again in May, a 65-year-old, Minggan Ch Sangma was allegedly murdered and his body dumped near the village of Menggotchigre near Jangrapara under Tikrikilla Police Station in West Garo Hills (WGH). The killing is the first of suspected cases of alleged witch craft killing though the case is yet to be solved as fearful family members have not dared to inform on the murderers, fearing reprisals.
** Meanwhile in East Garo Hills (EGH), in the month of July, angered at the continued abuse of his sister, the brother in law of one Francis G Momin, Birit D Shira murdered him before surrendering to the police. The suspect, after the murder, had dumped the body of the victim in a well near Balsrigittim locality.
** In the same month, the murder of a 6-year-old by an apparently crazed man, sent shivers down the spine of people. The shocker occurred near the village of Kharkutta in North Garo Hills. The sickening case saw the accused, Silsrang B Marak, lure the 6-year-old from her house on the pretext of hunting crabs. Marak later killed the victim and dismembered her, even sleeping with her head. He later dumped the body and the head in two different sections of the Manda River. While the head of the minor was later recovered, the body had not been. Locals had suspected sexual assault on the victim as well though the same could not be proved due to lack of evidence.
** In the month of August, the plain belt once again became the scene of another murder when the body of a Rajpur resident, (under Phulbari PS) Narjina Begum was discovered floating in the nearby river. Her husband, Mominur Islam, was the prime suspect in the murder and absconded immediately after the killing.
** Meanwhile in the month of July, another murder that was solved by West Garo Hills (WGH) Police was that of man who went missing for over a month. The murder was apparently one of contract killing with almost the entire family, including the mother, son and son in law involved. The three contract killers were arrested leading to the case being cracked. The victim allegedly strangled before he was dismembered and buried in another location. The case took place under the Dadenggre PS limits.
** Recently a man was murdered after people of his village believed he was possessed by spirits and literally wanted to beat the ghosts out of him. The victim had been suffering from fever and blabbered in his sleep, which led to the villagers believing he was possessed. While no one was arrested in the murder of the victim under Bajengdoba PS in NGH, the man who advised on the beating was the local witch doctor.
Worrying signs for Garo Hills, however, has been many unreported cases of murder mostly on allegations of practising witch craft. Many cases, known locally, have not been reported for fear of reprisal against family members of victims.
"These cases are worrying as the entire village gangs up against these victims and they are secluded from the villages. No one dares to go against the entire village and everyone runs if authorities come for questioning. With no bodies being found, murder cannot be proved. It's a lethal combination and needs and immediate look in," said an elder from the Church after visits to some of these areas. The area under question falls between the PS's of Dadenggre and Tikrikilla in WGH.
