Shillong, Nov 23: The Meghalaya government has initiated an inquiry into the suspicious deaths of two youths from the state at rehabilitation centres in Assam, Social Welfare Minister Paul Lyngdoh confirmed the development on Saturday.
“This just came to us by way of first information yesterday. As soon as that information came, I asked the principal secretary to initiate an inquiry and find out what happened,” Lyngdoh said. “I should be getting the report by Monday mid-day,” he added.
The deceased individuals have been identified as Rickelson Jyrwa, a resident of Golf Link, and Meban Syndor from Mawlai Mawtawar. They were undergoing treatment at two different centres—Better Living Wellness Foundation in Mangaldai, Assam, and Alive Again Foundation in Chandrapur, Hatisila, Guwahati.
The Meghalaya Users Forum (MUF) claimed that both rehabilitation centres are owned by Arup Jerial Passah, with co-ownership at Better Living Wellness Foundation attributed to Sabir Khan and at Alive Again Foundation to Shahid.
The MUF has called the circumstances surrounding the deaths highly suspicious. “There are alarming reports that Syndor’s body was handed over by the rehabilitation administration from Jorabat, Assam, to his relatives without any police involvement, autopsy, or post-mortem examination,” the MUF alleged.
