Regional
I will not resign: Meghalaya Home Minister
Shillong: Meghalaya Home Minister Horju Donkupar Roy Lyngdoh on Saturday said that he will not resign in connection with the rape of a minor girl in his son’s guest house here. “I have not done wrong. I did not run the guest house. The guest house is run by the management,” Lyngdoh said reacting to the demands from several quarters, including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), for his resignation. “I have given the police a free hand to investigate to find out the truth. If need be they (police) can interrogate me in this matter. Therefore, I will not resign as a minister,” the Home Minister said.
Four people had separately raped the 14-year-old girl at the Marvelene’s Inn, the guest house which is run by Lyngdoh’s son Nathaniel Osbert Rymmai. Lyngdoh’s statement is significant in the wake of V.Shanmuganathan resigning as Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh Governor on Thursday night after he was accused of inappropriate behaviour and hurting the decorum and prestige of the Raj Bhavan. Meghalaya police have arrested 16 people, including Independent legislator Julius Kitbok Dorphang in connection with the sexual abuse of the 14-year-old girl at various guest houses and a government-owned resort.
“The investigation into the case (sexual assault of minor girl) is in full swing. We have questioned the Home Minister’s son and if need be we will also summon the Home Minister for questioning,” Mariahom Kharkrang, the district police chief of East Khasi Hills, said. However, BJP’s Secretary in-charge Meghalaya Nalin Kohli questioned the ruling Congress-led government for turning a deaf ear to the demands of civil society groups, who were demanding the resignation of the Home Minister to ensure a free and fair investigation. “With what face is the Congress party politicising this (inappropriate behaviour of former Governor V Shanmuganathan). They should first answer why is the Home Minster still in office and what action is being taken against him. After all a 14-year-old girl was repeatedly raped in a guest house owned by him and various complaints exist already,” Kohli told IANS.
“Shanmuganathan resigned to ensure the dignity of the office and institution has been maintained. Let’s not forget no statement or complaint exists from any lady against him (Shanmuganathan),” the BJP leader stated. On the other hand, Leader of Opposition Donkupar Roy said that Chief Minister Mukul Sangma should relieve Lyngdoh of his Home portfolio to ensure a free and fair probe into the alleged sexual abuse in the guest house owned by his son. “There is a growing demand for the resignation of Home Minister on this issue and the Chief Minister should have relieved him from the Home portfolio since he is the overall head of the state police department even if he does not sack him from his ministry to ensure free and fair probe,” Roy said.
On the other hand, civil society groups – Thma U Rangli (TUR) and Civil Society Women’s Organisation – reiterated their demand for the resignation of the Home Minister. “He (Lyngdoh) should immediately quit. The Home Minister cannot be so stubborn in such a sensitive case and he cannot say he is not interfering and giving a free hand to police to investigate when he is still the Home Minister,” TUR leader Angela Rangad said. “He has to step down since there is no free flow of investigation. We don’t care if he is BJP or Congress legislator. He has been elected by the people. We are demanding a free and fair investigation to ensure justice to the victim and security to the people of the state,” she added.
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What monkey fled with a bag containing evidence in it: Read full story
The court, generally, considers a person who commit a crime and the one who destroys the evidence, as criminals in the eyes of law. But what if an animal destroys the evidence of a crime committed by a human.
In a peculiar incident in Rajasthan, a monkey fled away with the evidence collected by the police in a murder case. The stolen evidence included the murder weapon (a blood-stained knife).
The incident came to light when the police appeared before the court and they had to provide the evidence in the hearing.
The hearing was about the crime which took place in September 2016, in which a person named Shashikant Sharma died at a primary health center under Chandwaji police station. After the body was found, the deceased’s relatives blocked the Jaipur-Delhi highway, demanding an inquiry into the matter.
Following the investigation, the police had arrested Rahul Kandera and Mohanlal Kandera, residents of Chandwaji in relation to the murder. But, when the time came to produce the evidence related to the case, it was found that the police had no evidence with them because a monkey had stolen it from them.
In the court, the police said that the knife, which was the primary evidence, was also taken by the monkey. The cops informed that the evidence of the case was kept in a bag, which was being taken to the court.
The evidence bag contained the knife and 15 other important evidences. However, due to the lack of space in the malkhana, a bag full of evidence was kept under a tree, which led to the incident.