Shillong, Feb 11: A husband-wife duo have been extorted to the tune of thousands of rupees by pressure groups, a policeman and then subjected to physical assault by another police officer, according to a complaint filed with the Meghalaya Human Rights Commission (MHRC).
The troubles for the couple began when pressure groups used their apparent ignorance of the law to extort money from them. The two run a stall along the highway at Rongmil Rangberam in East Garo Hills. This stall, and others like them, sells dog meat, which, while illegal, is consumed by many people in the area, according to advocate Joshua Ch Marak, who is representing the couple.
The incident is directly linked to an FIR earlier lodged by the wife at Rongjeng Police Station against certain members of local pressure groups for multiple extortion attempts and criminal intimidation.
Although the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department has notified the killing of dogs as illegal, there has been no awareness programme in the villages and the couple claims they were unaware that selling dog meat constituted a criminal offence.
Taking advantage of this, certain pressure group members allegedly extorted money multiple times from the couple to the tune of around Rs 1 lakh. The latest incident, on December 10, 2025, saw the couple dragged into a jungle after their car was stopped on the road and the man choked and threatened with other physical violence.
Extortion was not limited to these people, however, with the couple claiming that a Sub-Inspector at Rongjeng had in August last year taken Rs 20,000 in cash from the couple on the promise of providing protection to them.
The following day the couple lodged an FIR at Rongjeng. However, police inaction and continued threats to withdraw the FIR by pressure group members led the victims to fear for their lives. The complainants escalated the matter by moving more senior police officers. It was only thereafter that some suspects were arrested, though Marak said that others remain absconding.
Then, on February 5, the pressure group members filed a counter FIR over the sale of dog meat. A case was immediately registered against the woman and she was summoned to the police station the same day. Made to wait for four hours, she was allegedly harassed, humiliated and threatened with arrest. Marak also said that she was verbally insulted by the Sub-Inspector in charge of Rongjeng Police Station and by a female police officer. The woman was told to return the next day with witnesses and brought three, one of whom was her husband.
“All were allegedly insulted, humiliated, forced to give statements dictated by police, threatened with arrest. Fearing further abuse, the husband secretly recorded the conversation for self-defence on his mobile phone,” Marak said. “When this was discovered, police allegedly snatched his phone, deleted the recordings of all abusive words, physically assaulted him, causing the break of his eardrum.”
Confirmation of the damaged ear drum was given by doctors at Williamnagar Civil Hospital. Due to severe pain, inability to sleep, difficulty eating and impaired speech, the victim was referred to Tura for specialised treatment but because of severe financial hardship he has been unable to pursue further treatment.
A petition has been filed with the MHRC via post through Marak, who is seeking urgent intervention and justice for the couple. Formal complaints have also been submitted to the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police
“At present, it appears that there is no effective government or institutional protection for victims in the Rongjeng area. The fear, silence, and helplessness faced by marginalized citizens reflect a complete breakdown of accountability and governance. When victims are assaulted by those entrusted with authority, it sends a chilling message to the public and erodes faith in democratic institutions,” Marak said.
