Shillong: Nearly six months after a seven-year-old boy from Lum Marboh, Nongrah, was reported missing and later found dead, the East Khasi Hills Police have cracked the case, arresting a 32-year-old man identified as Kenedy Khongsit for the murder.
According to Superintendent of Police (East Khasi Hills) Vivek Syiem, the case dates back to October 8, 2025, when a written complaint was lodged at Rynjah Police Station around 8:20 PM, reporting that the complainant's nephew, an orphan, had gone missing from his residence at around 4:00 PM.
Police personnel, along with members of the Dorbar Shnong Nongrah, immediately launched a search operation in and around the area, but the child could not be traced.
The following morning, police received information about the body of a child lying by the roadside at Mangen, Mawpat.
A team from Nongmensong Outpost, along with senior officers and forensic experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory, Shillong, rushed to the spot. The body was later identified by family members as that of the missing child.
A case was registered at Rynjah Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and a post-mortem conducted at NEIGRIHMS confirmed that the cause of death was asphyxia due to smothering.
Given the gravity of the crime, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted on October 9, 2025, headed by the Superintendent of Police (City).
Despite examining several individuals and identifying persons of interest, investigators initially faced a lack of concrete evidence and motive, delaying a breakthrough. Multiple exhibits were sent for forensic analysis to laboratories in Shillong and Guwahati.
Syiem stated that, after painstaking efforts over several months, the SIT was able to piece together crucial evidence that led to the identification of the accused.
The investigation revealed that the crime occurred between 2:30 PM and 3:00 PM on the day of the incident inside the accused's house, located adjacent to the victim's residence. The child had reportedly gone there to watch television after lunch.
During preliminary interrogation, the accused confessed that he had asked the child to assist him while cleaning a water storage tank, but the boy refused and continued watching television.
Enraged by what he perceived as disobedience, the accused allegedly smothered the child when he stepped outside, causing his death. He then concealed the body in a syntex tank before later moving it to the backyard.
Police further revealed that the accused subsequently placed the body in a plastic sack and transported it using a white Yamaha RZ scooter belonging to his cousin, who was away at the time. He left the locality between 4:15 PM and 4:50 PM and dumped the body at Mawpat before returning home within an hour.
The accused is set to be produced before the court, and police will seek remand to complete further investigation.
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