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Meghalaya Director General of Police Idashisha Nongrang on Monday told Meghalaya News 24 the crime scene recreation in the Sohra murder case will “most probably” take place tomorrow, while clarifying that Narco testing, though conducted in many cases, is “not legally binding” and “not conclusive evidence.”
Speaking on the progress of the investigation, Nongrang asserted, “Investigation is going on. A lot of the loose ends are being tied up and we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the investigation is foolproof and we do have a very solid case. We do have enough evidence and we are hoping to complete the investigation and ensure that the case is chargesheeted within the mandated time.”
When asked specifically about the timing of the crime scene recreation, she said, “That I cannot say with certainty, but most probably it will be done tomorrow.”
On the matter of police remand, she noted, “Wednesday is the production and after Wednesday, we will be looking at asking for additional police custody but it also depends on court. I am sure when the IO will be presenting to court the grounds for additional police custody, we do have—I am quite confident of that. But that depends on court. I would not like to speculate and will not like to comment.”
Nongrang also confirmed that no other state police is involved in the investigation. “There is no team from Indore Police at the moment. Only Meghalaya Police is here.”
Responding to a question on whether the interrogation process is nearing its conclusion, the DGP said, “No, I wouldn’t say final stage also because… we’ve been trying to ensure that we get the timeline, we get the placements correctly as to who did what and when. There’ve been contradictory statements, and we’ve been confronting the various accused as to what one has said which is contrary to what the other person has said. So, I wouldn’t say that interrogation has reached the final stage yet.”
Praising her team, Nongrang said, “I will say Meghalaya Police as a whole—it was certainly not just the East Khasi Hills police alone. A lot of teamwork. Yes, the bulk of the people who form the SIT were from the East Khasi Hills, but there was a lot of teamwork from the other units within the Meghalaya Police as such. As you are aware, Meghalaya Police has always been very much up there when it comes to professionalism. I’m just so glad that we’ve proven not only to the state but to the rest of the country that we are professionals and we will do our work professionally.”
She expressed deep discomfort with the explanation provided by the accused regarding the motive. “Frankly speaking, I still find it difficult to accept the motive that has been given by the accused and it really doesn’t sit very well. We are looking to see whether there is anything additional because I find it very difficult to believe that a person would generate so much animosity that within a couple of days of marriage, literally, you plot to kill the person.”
Asked if the supposed “love angle” seems doubtful, Nongrang responded, “On the surface, it appears to be the love angle—appears to be the main motive, the love triangle rather—but at the moment we cannot, I mean, personally I wouldn’t say that could be the only motive. We are looking at different aspects. That is why I’m saying that where these motives are concerned, what exactly happened is concerned—it’s still a developing situation, a developing investigation. And we need to unravel all those. It could be a combination of various factors also. As of now, I cannot definitely say that it is.”
On the matter of missing jewellery, she clarified, “The jewellery is not missing. It has been kept by the main accused in a particular place. We will be looking at recovering that jewellery also.”
When asked about the testimony of the co-passenger, the DGP confirmed, “Yes, we will be looking at all these aspects also.”
Reiterating her position on the Narco test, Nongrang stated, “Narco testing is actually not—it’s not legally binding. While it has been done in a number of cases, it is not conclusive evidence as of now.”
