Rojen Khyllait, a resident of Jabbar in East Khasi Hills, has denied allegations made by the Hynñiewtrep Youth Council (HYC) Sohiong and Nongthliew circles of his involvement in misappropriation of the compensation meant for landowners who parted with their land for a road project.
The HYC had filed a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills against Khyllait and one Phridensing Thabah for demanding a percentage cut from villagers regarding the compensation for the 2-lane Shillong Western Bypass.
“The HYC cannot continue to label people as mafia and make accusations of scams without proof and evidence. We are not involved in such activities, and the HYC must understand that we are not the ultimate authority when it comes to decisions on compensation in these dealings,” Khyllait said at a press conference today
He also refuted claims that he had taken blank cheques from beneficiaries of the bypass and said it was done to tarnish his reputation.
When asked about the HYC’s allegations that he withdrew money from two beneficiaries, Khyllait stated that the withdrawal was done for a different purpose not related to the allegations.
Khyllait said he is willing to go ahead if the HYC decides to take legal action against him.
According to the HYC, over Rs 1 crore was misappropriated by the individuals and had convinced four people to sign blank cheques for “official use” and demanded that 10 percent of the compensation be paid to them.
The HYC stated the four persons are uneducated and did not know the value of the percentage and thus fell prey to the duo. The pressure group also claimed that there are many more landowners who are in a similar situation but they have been threatened into keeping quiet.
