Shillong, Jun 3: An FIR has been lodged against ruling NPP MLA Thomas Sangma in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills district, after a woman accused him of rape on the pretext of marriage, a police officer said.
According to the complainant, Sangma, who befriended her three months ago, was now forcing her to abort the child she has conceived, East Khasi Hills district Superintendent of Police Sylvester Nongtynger said. The woman has sought lawful action against the accused MLA and protection from the state police, the SP noted. She also said in her complaint that she was aware that the North Tura legislator, who is also the chief adviser to CM Conrad K Sangma, is married, but took forward the relationship, nevertheless, as the MLA had promised to divorce his wife and marry her, Nongtynger explained.
The complainant further added that earlier, too, she had lodged a complaint, but was forced to retract it after coming under pressure from the former MP. "We have registered a case in the matter on June 1. An investigation is underway," the SP stated. Slamming Thomas, Opposition Congress leader and chairperson of the state Assembly panel for women empowerment, Ampareen Lyngdoh, has written to Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh, seeking the accused MLA's dismissal from all House committees.
"The allegation of sexual assault is very disappointing... As the chairperson of the Assembly committee for empowerment of women, I am committed to ensure that justice is not denied to both parties, especially to the woman," she said in a letter to the Speaker. Efforts to contact the North Tura MLA did not yield any result.
