SHILLONG: A senior leader of the ruling National People's Party (NPP) in Meghalaya was sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in West Jaintia Hills district for murdering a 25-year-old man during a drunken brawl.
District Session Judge B Khriam convicted NPP working president of Jaintia Hills region Nidamon Chullet under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and on Wednesday sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him.
Chullet's aide Koming Rabon was convicted under IPC section 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence) for disposing of the body.
He was sentenced to seven years in jail, besides a fine of Rs 10,000 was imposed on him.
Chullet is known to be a close associate of Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma.
Chulllet and another accused, who died during the course of the trial in 2019, attacked Ewanmidoo Lhuid with a dao (traditional sword) under the influence of alcohol following a brawl while they were playing cards at a shop in Jowai.
The incident happened in February 2008.
Rabon later disposed of the body, as per the prosecution.
Judge Khriam lauded the prosecution for proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt, while noting the "shoddy" investigation carried out by the police.
Chullet, the president of the transporters' body in eastern Meghalaya, is also accused in the assault of activists Agnes Kharshiing and Amita Sangma in November 2018, months after the NPP came to power in this hill state.
The activists were trying to uncover illegal coal mining and transportation in the Jaintia Hills region.
The NPP had earlier defended Chullet, maintaining that no action can be taken against him until he is proven guilty.
However, the party is yet to make any official statement after the verdict was given.
Calls made to NPP spokesperson James PK Sangma went unanswered.