These murders come close on the heels of the murder of Darihun Lyngwi a sex worker who was killed by unidentified miscreants. The police are still groping in the dark in the sensational rape and murder of Darihun Lyngwi. But in the present instance they acted promptly and arrested the trio within 48 hours of the murder.

Of late we have been reading various newspaper reports about crimes against women. This year alone there has been a spurt in violence against women especially rape cases. Recently a fast track court convicted three men for raping two girls in 1999 to five years of rigorous imprisonment. The other landmark judgement was the sentencing of Tenderly Hynniewta to life imprisonment for killing his pregnant girlfriend Corphelia Nongkynrih.

These incidents have created a fear psychosis on the minds of the citizens of the city, especially women. Parents are becoming apprehensive of sending their daughters to school, college, and work or for an outing. A concerned parent remarked, “I keep a close tab on the activities of my daughters, lest I regret later on.” Another woman pointed out that it was the ineffectiveness of the police department that even after committing crimes like rape and murder on earlier occasions, a hardened criminal like Fullmoon Dhar was roaming around scot-free. He has become so emboldened that he does not think twice before committing crimes on vulnerable women.

The police department after facing criticism from every quarter of the society is toying with the idea of forming a special team to follow up cases of these criminals so that they get a justified verdict. The police are also interrogating the trio to ascertain their involvement in the killing of the commercial sex worker Darihun Lyngwi.

The matrilineal society in Meghalaya is facing a crisis at present. In the Khasi society men are known as the khatarbor or the one with strength and they are supposed to be the protectors of women. Women are kept on a pedestal in Meghalaya but the recent rise in the violence against women has exposed the insensitiveness of the society towards the fairer sex. Women Organisations of the state have asked for stringent and exemplary punishments for the culprits. Some organisations have even called for the hanging of the murderers so that it serves as a deterrent to others.

As has been mentioned earlier, a fast track court convicted three persons to five years rigorous imprisonment for the rape of two girls in the year 1999. The irony of the situation is, it took the court nine years to deliver a verdict, but it was supposed to be a fast track court. Imagine the mental trauma the victims have to go through during the trial period. Various organisations have asked for crimes against women to be transferred to a fast track court so that the guilty get prompt and exemplary punishment.

According to the statistics provided by the Meghalaya State Crime Bureau (MSCB), the year 2003 saw 70 reported cases of crimes against women, in the year 2004 the number rose up to 110, in 2005 there were 138 cases, in 2006, 176 such cases were reported, in the year 2007 there were 174 cases and in 2008 a total of 97 such cases were reported up to the month of June.

Various women organisations pointed out the fact that there is a lacuna in the forensic laboratory, investigation and legal aspects of dealing with crimes against women. Due to absence of sound forensic reports vital clues are lost and thus it becomes difficult to nail the guilty.

They are also demanding the speeding up of many pending cases like that of Rinehskhem, Darihun Lyngwi, Istarlin Kharbani and Monica Biswas. The police on their part say that they are working overtime but during trial eyewitnesses turn hostile thereby weakening the case and the court has no option but to grant bail to the accused.

Prime Suspects of murder case in Mawpdang - 0ctober 2008