SHILLONG — A 26-year-old Garo woman was stabbed in the neck and robbed during an alleged mobile phone snatching incident at Umkdait in Nongmensong, Shillong, on Monday night.
The woman, identified as Silvina T. Sangma, works at Reliance Trends and was returning home after her shift when the incident took place at around 9 pm. According to reports, she was walking along the road towards Lumshyiap when she was approached by a man who allegedly tried to snatch her mobile phone.
Sangma initially resisted the attempt. She eventually handed over the phone, but the attacker allegedly continued assaulting her and stabbed her in the neck with a sickle. She suffered a serious injury and reportedly tried to escape from the attacker before seeking help.
A woman who came to her assistance reportedly found Sangma bleeding. She was taken to the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), where she is undergoing treatment. Another account reported that Sangma managed to make her way back towards her workplace after the attack, following which her co-workers rushed her to the hospital. She is reported to be in a stable condition.
The attacker reportedly attempted to flee after the incident but was intercepted by people in the locality. He was subsequently handed over to police. A later report said the suspect was taken to Civil Hospital Shillong for treatment after being assaulted by members of the public during the confrontation. Police have taken the accused into custody and are investigating the circumstances of the attack.
The incident has also drawn attention to concerns raised by residents over suspected drug activity in the Nongmensong area. Nongmensong VDP president T. Thabah said preliminary information indicated that three to four people suspected of being drug users had allegedly been active in the locality.
According to the VDP leader, one of the suspects has been identified by some local residents as “Gunni”.
Police are still investigating the case and working to establish the identities and alleged roles of others who may have been involved.
