Shillong, Sept 24: The tragic death of 4-year-old Insaphira Lyngdoh Mawnai in Nongrah Nonglum has shocked the state and prompted Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister (Home), Prestone Tynsong, to direct a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a thorough probe into the incident.
Speaking to reporters, Tynsong said that it is the government’s duty to uncover the full truth behind the child’s death. “The death of a young child is heartbreaking, but what is equally troubling is why the 13-year-old boy involved in the case did not immediately inform the authorities,” he said. “I have instructed the SIT to dig deep and unearth the facts. The question remains — why did the boy remain silent and behave as if he knew nothing about the incident?”
According to police investigations, Insaphira was reported missing from her residence on the morning of September 14 around 8 a.m. Two days later, her body was found at an under-construction site in the locality.
On September 18, a 13-year-old boy, who is a neighbour of the victim’s family, was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB). During questioning, he admitted to taking the girl to the construction site and confessed that while playing with her, he accidentally caused her to suffocate, leading to her death.
The SIT, headed by SP (City) Herbert Kharkongor, stated that the boy had initially tried to mislead investigators by fabricating a story about masked men in a black Scorpio abducting the girl. However, he later confessed the truth under sustained interrogation.
The post-mortem report confirmed that the cause of death was consistent with drowning or suffocation and found no evidence of sexual assault or physical violence.
Tynsong assured that the SIT will continue to probe all aspects of the case to ensure no angle is left unexplored. “The government will not tolerate any attempt at cover-up or negligence,” he said, promising justice for the grieving family.
