The police initially believed that the two sons of Cherishterfield Thangkhiew, who was shot to death in his home by police early today, were the surrendered militant’s bodyguards.
This was the view of one of Thangkhiew’s sons, Grainy Ferrous Greenfield Diengdoh, who recounted his ordeal to the media after the death of his father.
According to Diengdoh, police had decided to take both sons to Khliehriat, the scene of one of the IED blasts in which Thangkhiew was believed by police to have had a hand in, but midway they turned around and were brought back to Shillong.
The two had initially been taken to Sadar Police Station in Shillong.
“Police from Khliehriat came and took us. But halfway, there was a phone call (to the police) and we returned to Shillong,” Diengdoh said, adding that the police had initially thought that the two were Thangkhiew’s personal security guards. “As soon as they knew that we were his sons, we returned to Shillong,” he said.
Diengdoh, who is a civil servant posted in West Khasi Hills but was in Shillong on a short holiday, also recounted his experience of the pre-dawn police raid on the family home in Kynton Massar. He said that police personnel barged into the house forcibly as the family slept.
He and his brother, Olifin Zyircanium, were hauled out of their beds and made to lie on the floor by the police, who, he claims, assaulted them.
“They covered our faces with cloth and kicked us,” Diengdoh said, adding that he then heard the shot that killed his father.
He also informed that his father had been suffering from a kidney ailment and that one of his hands was injured.
“He was an old man, he could not have fought the police,” Diengdoh said.
Meanwhile, the spouse of Thangkhiew, M. Diengdoh, his cousins and family has denounced the police operation which had taken the life of their family member. They told media that Thangkhiew could not have held a knife or even attack as he was down with many health problems, barely able to stand or even grip a knife in his hand.
