TNT News

SHILLONG: A woman’s house in a remote village in West Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya was allegedly set on fire by her ex-husband recently.

The woman, Josna Nongsiej revealed that her ex-husband Sronling Lyngkhoi had allegedly burnt her house on March 20.

She informed that her husband would assault her physically while they lived together. She also suffered miscarriage as a result of the beatings- the first took place in 2009 when she was 8 months pregnant, while the other happened when she was four months pregnant.

Nongsiej also informed that the house was set on fire when she was away at her mother’s house, adding that the house was totally gutted in the incident.

While speaking to reporters, Nongsiej revealed that her ex-husband would continually threaten her even after separation. “He would continually threaten to hire contract killers to kill me and my two children,” she lamented.

Interestingly, despite complaining to the village dorbar about her ex-husband, the village durbars never reacted to her complaints, Nongsiej claimed.

She would always be told by the Sordar of the village Trat Nonglang that she could always re-build her house.

She also informed that she had earlier managed to file a police complaint, but her ex-husband managed to get bail.

She tried to seek justice and sought help of an NGO, the women’s wing of the Hynniewtrep National Achik Movement (HANM). But surprisingly, the HANM did not try to help the woman in filing any police complaint. She further added that she had lodged a complaint with the headman but he refused to help as he was ‘a close relative’ of her ex-husband.

The aggrieved woman requested help and urged the authorities concerned via media to help and ensure that her ex-husband is booked under relevant section of the law.

Meanwhile, Nongsiej sought intervention of the Meghalaya State Women’s Commission (MSWC) who then immediately took up the case.