SHILLONG: The Hajong Students’ Youth Voice organized a candlelight vigil this evening to express their deep condolences and pay respects following the sudden demise of two young individuals from the Hajong community.
The bodies of the two youths were discovered under highly suspicious circumstances on June 14 at Lumsohphoh, an area falling under the jurisdiction of the Laitumkhrah Police Station.
The candlelight vigil witnessed the participation of hundreds of people from the Hajong community residing in Shillong, who gathered to express their profound grief and demand justice for the deceased youth.
Speaking to media persons, Bini Hajong, the sister of the deceased woman Promone Hajong, stated that she joined the gathering to demand a fair investigation and justice regarding the deaths.
A resident of Mawshilliang in West Khasi Hills, Bini appealed to all citizens to support their demand for justice so that such heinous incidents do not happen to anyone else living in Shillong.
She strongly rejected the initial theory that Pronome Hajong and Semanto Hajong had committed suicide, asserting that visual evidence from circulated videos clearly indicates they were murdered.
She pointed out that looking at the state of the bodies and the surroundings, it is evident that it was a brutal killing, noting that the video shows a very cramped space and the structure of the shed does not make it plausible for a person to die by hanging.
Bini Hajong further added that the two youths faced no domestic or personal issues that would drive them to take their own lives. She mentioned that they had come to the city to work and financially support their families.
Expressing helplessness over not knowing what transpired on that fateful night, she demanded that the police conduct a thorough and meticulous investigation, while also calling upon the public to stand together to ensure justice is served.
Meanwhile, Joti Rani Hajong, President of the Shillong Hajong Students, stated that various community groups came together to express solidarity and pay their final respects to the two young lives cut short.
She pointed out that the exact cause of death remains unknown and even the police have stated they are yet to ascertain the truth, prompting her to urge the police department to take the matter seriously and investigate the incident deeply.
According to reports, the police received information on June 14 at around 7:00 AM regarding the discovery of the bodies of a young man and a young woman found hanging inside a shed at Lumsohphoh, located along the Shillong-Jowai Road.
The deceased have been identified as 22-year-old Pronome Hajong from Balat, South West Khasi Hills, and 21-year-old Semanto Hajong from Ranikor, South West Khasi Hills.
The bodies were subsequently shifted to NEIGRIHMS for a post-mortem examination. While the police stated that preliminary findings suggest a possible case of suicide, they emphasized that clarity will only be achieved once the post-mortem report is obtained to establish the exact truth.
In connection with the incident, an Unnatural Death (UD) case has been registered at the Laitumkhrah Police Station.
