Shullai rubbished allegations

By Our Reporter

SHILLONG, AUG 9: NCP legislator from South Shillong Sanbor Shullai today claimed that the guest house’s owner and her family had made the false allegations against him because they were “unhappy” after he provided free accommodation to the army job aspirants and for visiting the guest house regularly.

Addressing newsmen here, Shullai said he had gone to the guest house, after being informed by residents including the mother of the owner of the guest house Disyona Passah that hundreds of job aspirants, who have come from different states for the army recruitment rally, were all over the area.

“When I entered inside the guest house (on August 2), its manager Mickey Passah had already provided accommodation to the candidates and was charging them at Rs 500 per head. I told him this is wrong and that he should return their money as I will make the arrangement for them,” he said.

Learning that majority of the candidates are poor and need to save money for returning home after the rally, he said that he immediately decided to provide free accommodation to them (candidates) at the community hall of the Raid Laban Sports, Social & Cultural Organization (RLSSCO).

Whereas for the other candidates, Shullai said that some he took to a temporary shed and also requested for space in his sister’s building for accommodating the candidates for the night till 5 am before the rally which was scheduled to start at 6 am on the following day.

Before this, the MLA said that he had asked the Laban police to request the army authority to allow their huge land to be used for accommodating the candidates but the latter’s response that they will be allowed to enter the gate only from 6am as per order.

“Therefore, it is my duty as a public representative to ensure no law and order problem arises in my constituency as if anything happen to these young boys (candidates), bamboo will first go to the MLA,” he said.

He added, “Due to this, they were angry with me as they feel as I have hampered their business.”

Following the controversy of the Marvelene Inn, a guest house owned by the son of the home minister HDR Lyngdoh, Shullai said that he had made it a point to regularly visit the guest house as any happens, the blame will always go to the MLA of the area.

“My regular visiting the guest house and regularly telling to verify documents of guests have made them to feel allergic to me as they say their business have come down,” he said.

In her FIR, Haviva Passah, the proprietor of the Stay Four Seasons Guest House had alleged that on August 2, at around 7.30 pm, the MLA along with his PSO and driver went to her guest house and shouted at the guests and candidates who came to appear for the army recruitment.

Shullai further alleged that two months ago, Haviva’s brother Mickey Passah was also picked up by the Rilbong police after an FIR was lodged by a tourist agent for failing to provide accommodation to guests even after taking Rs 30,000 for room bookings. “This is can be verified with the police but the case was dropped after I intervened,” he said.

On the other hand, he alleged that Haviva’s mother Disyona Passah was also allegedly involved in assaulting a transgender publicly upon which the case is still going till date.

With regards to the incident in his residence-cum-office on August 4, in which Haviva was allegedly manhandled, Shullai said that while he was having a meeting with government officials from the Planning department, Haviva, her mother and others came and interrupted despite requesting them to wait.

“Like a thunder, she (Haviva) shouted that she wanted to talk inspite of requesting them to wait in the sitting room for me to finish first with officials. However she continue to shout and on seeing she was hanging a big bag in the front and that they may attack me as I suspect that they may carry acid in it, I immediately call my PSO but I told him not to touch her,” he said.

“When I informed the police over phone, she told me that she will also go to the police to give false statement against me,” he said while terming her allegations as false, baseless and fabricated as many including his staff and neighbours had also witnessed the incident.

He also alleged that Haviva’s verbal complaint to the police did not tally with the complaint she had lodged after 24 hours after the incident because her FIR against him was manufactured. Shullai had also lodged an FIR against family for criminal trespasses and attempt to murder.

According to him, the building where the guest house is located at Bishnupur belongs to the Raid Laban Sports, Social & Cultural Organization (RLSSCO) which is being headed by him as the president.

Earlier, the South Shillong legislator said that Disyona Passah and her family were in fact diehard supporters of Sounder Cajee, who was his opponent in the last 2013 elections.

He however said they came to his fold after meeting them in one of the funerals after the elections when the mother approached for helping her unemployed son (Mickey).

Stating that the move was politically motivated since elections are only six months away, Shullai said just before the last elections, an FIR was filed against him on October 22, 2012 accusing him of misusing the sacred flag of the Seng Khasi during emersion of Durga Puja.

Informing that this case was already dismissed by a lower court in his favour, Shullai said, “Here also, all these allegations against me (before elections) will be defeated in the eyes of the law.”