Shillong, Sep 16: As the shocking murder of a four-year-old girl in Shillong left everyone perplexed, the Meghalaya State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSPCR) has asked for an expedited probe into the case so that justice can be delivered as early as possible.
“The MSCPCR has further impressed upon the police and all investigative agencies the urgent need to expedite the probe into this gruesome incident,” MSPCR chairperson Agatha Sangma said in a statement on Tuesday.
Underscoring the need for early justice for the victim’s family, she said, “Swift and thorough investigation is vital, not only for justice to be delivered but also to provide the bereaved family some measure of closure from this painful and tragic episode.”
The child, Insaphira Lyngdoh Mawnai, went missing from her home at Nongrah Nonglum here on Sunday morning. Her body was found submerged in a waterlogged pit inside an under-construction house near her residence on Monday morning.
A special investigation team (SIT) headed by SP (City) Herbert Kharkongor has been formed to probe into the heinous crime.
An SCPCR team met the bereaved family members and ensured necessary official formalities at NEIGRIHMS, including the autopsy, were duly undertaken while closely reviewing the matter.
“The MSCPCR firmly reiterates that the loss of any life is a matter of deep anguish-far more so when it is the life of a child, whose innocence and future are so abruptly taken away. The Commission conveys its profound condolences to the grieving family and stands in solidarity with them in this most difficult time,” she said.
Meanwhile, the SCPCR also warned of action against “unethical” circulation of videos or images of children in distressing circumstances on social media.
“Such acts fall within the purview of the Juvenile Justice Act (JJA) and attract strict penal consequences, including imprisonment,” she stated.