Shillong, Nov 17: One more accidental death was reported in Ri Bhoi on November 16.
The victim identified as 29-year-old Willbornson Diengdoh, was on his way to attend Cherry Blossom Festival.
He was a resident of Pdengshnong, Sohra, East Khasi Hills.
Earlier on November 15 evening, a speeding escort vehicle accompanying Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh hit a biker on the way to Cherry Blossom Festival killing him and injuring a lady pillion rider.
Narrating the second incident, the police said that on November 16, around 8.50 am, a telephonic information was received from P Dkhar, Headman of Umroi Nongrah village, Ri-Bhoi that one male body was lying beneath the Dwarksuid bridge, Umroi Nongrah.
During enquiry, the place was visited and it was learnt that some villagers saw the body. Consequently, on examining all the available witnesses, the body was identified as that of Diengdoh, who was supposed to proceed on November 15 along with his friends for cherry blossom festival but due to heavy traffic snarl and on reaching the place of occurrence, he got down from the vehicle (ML05Z8694) which he was driving and he might have fallen from the bridge which led to his death, according to the police.
The police said his friends who accompanied him were examined and it was further learnt that the deceased stopped his car to attend nature’s call at the accident site and with the improvement in traffic flow, one of his friends drove the car and waited at Khapmara Junction.
Police said after a while they all went to the festival as they assumed that he might have boarded another Sumo vehicle which was from his native village as they saw him talking to the occupants of the vehicle. However, till November 16 around 4 am when the victim didn’t come back, his friends returned to their respective residences after the festival presuming that he might have returned home and they could not contact the victim as he left his phone charging at the car. Later, when they came to know that he didn’t return home all his friends went back to the festival venue to search for him but on reaching at the accident site they witnessed gathering of many people and they identified the victim. They immediately informed the matter to the family members of the deceased.
Inquest of the body followed and the police did not notice any suspicious external injuries or any foul play which, according to the police was accidental. Also, the accident site was inspected which is a steep slope towards the Umiam river and it can be presumed that the deceased slipped and fell from the bridge, the police added
Relatives get postmortem exemption
Police explained to the family members about the merits of holding post mortem examination but they insisted for exemption as they were firm that the death was due to accident. The family members of the deceased submitted a written petition for post mortem exemption to Eric Dkhar, the ADM Nongpoh, Ri-Bhoi district and on obtaining the exemption, the body was handed over to the family members for conducting the last rites. The FIR received will be forwarded to the Officer-in-Charge Umiam police station to register an unnatural death case, the police added.
