Shillong, Aug 7: A lady allegedly manhandled by NCP MLA from Shillong South constituency, Sanbor Shullai, said that she would fight for her rights till the end and would also seek the intervention of the Meghalaya State Commission for Women.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Haviva Passah, who runs a guest house, said that she would apprise the state women commission about the incident, and urged other women’s organizations to support her till justice is achieved.
When she lodged an FIR with police against the NCP MLA, Passah said, “police told me that if I filed the FIR, Shullai will also file a counter FIR against me that I attempted to murder him, which Shullai did it as informed by police in advance. I wonder whether they (police) work for the people or for Shullai.”
Denying the allegation of Shullai that she attacked him, Passah said if such incident had happened, Shullai’s personal security officer (PSO) would have arrested her.
In her FIR, Haviva stated that on August 2, at around 7.30 pm, the MLA along with his PSO and driver went to the guest house and shouted at the guests and candidates who came to take part in the Army recruitment rally.
She also alleged that Shullai snatched a document pertaining to an agreement she had entered for running the Guest House from her brother Micky Passah and when he protested, the driver/staff of Shullai assaulted him.
On August 4, Haviva went to the residence-cum-office of the MLA to discuss about the incident but instead he shouted at her indecently and pushed her on the chest, and she was about to fall down.
Denying Shullai’s allegation that she was drunk when she went to meet him, Haviva said, “I come from a respectable family and medical report of the doctor clearly stated that there is no smell of alcohol from me (on that day). My upper lip suffered minor injury after I was hit by Shullai.”
She also alleged that after she successfully managed the guest house, the MLA out of “jealousy” tired to take away her livelihood by harassing her and her family.
Passah is running the ‘Four Stay Four Seasons’ guest house located in the same building where the Raid Laban Sports and Cultural Club is having its community hall at Bishnupur behind Sankerdev College.
Stating that the top floor of the building was leased out to her by Shullai for a period of five years, Passah said that for the past one year, everything was going on smoothly, and she deposited a monthly rent of Rs 50,000 regularly in Shullai’s personal bank account.
“If he (Shullai) is trying to snatch away my livelihood (from where I am feeding my family) in this way, I will stand and fight till the end because it won’t be easy for him,” she said.
Narrating the incident on August 2, Passah said that many candidates who came to the city for the Army’s recruitment rally, had sought for accommodation in the guest house, and out of 11 rooms, four rooms were spared for the candidates.
Passah’s brother, Mickey Passah however said that Shullai suddenly came to the guest house and questioned him as to why he accommodated non-tribals.
“I told him why shouldn’t we, as there is no policy which says that guest house is for only local people,” he said.
Mickey said that MLA was wild and kicked the plates of the candidates who were having food, and started breaking locks of rooms in the guests and threw their luggage including those of tourists outside, besides cutting off the electricity to the guest house.
“Shullai however did not dare to break the lock of one room, when I told him that the guest was a relative of an SP from Garo Hills,” he said.
However, Shullai in a counter FIR filed with Laban Police Beat House on Friday said that at around 5.30 pm, when he was in his residence at New Kench’s Trace, three persons –Passah, Mickey Passah, Disyona Passah and others – had forcibly entered into his office without any permission and having ill intention.
He also sought action against them for their allegedly criminal trespasses and attempt to murder him at his residence.
On Shullai’s allegation that the incident was “politically motivated” to tarnish his image, Haviva denied saying, “we are from a business family, and we have no time in doing politics. I am not involved in politics as alleged by Shullai.”
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