Shillong: Arsonists burned a farmer’s entire harvest on October 10. Toieid Iaka Papiah found her paddy shed in ashes at 8 am. The blaze ruined a year of hard work in the West Jaintia Hills district. She values the loss at Rs 40,000, though experts still need to verify the final cost.
Iaka farms at Shilliang Ka Wah Myntang, a site also known as Nohkrei. She gathered her crop on October 9 and kept it in a temporary shed near her field. This was her standard seasonal process before transport. Then the fire hit. The flames left nothing behind.
She filed a formal complaint at Raliang Police Station on October 10. She wants the culprits identified and arrested quickly. Iaka suspects residents from the nearby village of Khatkasla played a role in the destruction. She says her suspicion stems from "previous incidents in which residents of Khatkasla were allegedly suspected of stealing and damaging crops belonging to farmers in the area." Police have opened an investigation into the matter.
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