SHILLONG, JUN 16: Hundreds gathered at Khyndailad Tuesday for a candlelight vigil, demanding a fair and time-bound investigation into the deaths of two Hajong youth whose bodies were found at Nongthymmai under circumstances the community has called “mysterious”.
Shillong Hajong Students Union President Joti Rani Hajong, speaking at the vigil, said she was there “not as president, but as a sister to those who have lost their lives”.
She noted that people had come “from different communities and different organisations, having come from far away” to stand together.
“Definitely, we do not know what the matter is. It is a mysterious death; they have claimed that it is an unknown death,” she said.
Urging the authorities to act, she added, “So now we just want to request the police and the government to look into the matter seriously, so that they conduct a proper and fair investigation.”
The Meghalaya Hajong Welfare Association has also stepped in, expressing “profound shock and grief” over the deaths of Simanta Hajong (21) of Ranikor and Prinomi Hajong (22) of Balat.
In a statement, MHWA said the deaths occurred under circumstances that “raised serious concerns and have caused immense anguish among their family members, relatives, friends, and the public at large”, calling the loss “tragic and untimely”.
MHWA President Jogadish Ch Hajong said the association “stands in solidarity” with the bereaved families and offered prayers that “the departed souls rest in eternal peace and that their families find the strength to endure this irreparable loss”.
The association pressed the state government and police to treat the case with “utmost seriousness and urgency” and ensure transparency.
“The Meghalaya Hajong Welfare Association firmly believes that every citizen deserves protection under the law and that any loss of life under suspicious circumstances must be investigated thoroughly. Those responsible, if any, must be identified and brought to justice in accordance with the law,” the statement read.
MHWA also urged the government to ensure “no stone is left unturned in establishing the facts of the case”, saying families and the public “deserve answers, accountability and justice”.
