Meghalaya filmmaker Dominic Sangma assaulted in Itanagar after intervening in student harassment

Meghalaya filmmaker and National Award winner Dominic Sangma was allegedly assaulted by two men near Rakap village along the Jollang-Rakap road in Itanagar on Wednesday evening after he intervened when they allegedly attacked three FTII students.

Speaking to India Today NE, Sangma said he was still recovering from the injuries sustained in the assault and had developed a fever due to the pain.

“Yesterday evening, I was taking a walk at around 6 pm, just 200 metres away from the campus. There were two boys who were drinking, playing loud music and carrying bamboo sticks. They were stopping people,” Sangma said.

He said he had initially ignored the men after seeing them allegedly assaulting non-tribal construction workers near the campus.

“I have seen this kind of behaviour often, especially against outsiders. So I ignored it because it was not my student,” he said.

However, Sangma said he intervened after spotting three of his students, who had joined FTII only around 15 days earlier, being stopped by the same men.

The students were travelling on a motorcycle towards the campus after completing practical work when the two men allegedly stopped them.

“They took out the sticks, beat them and abused them. The students somehow could not continue on that road, so they had to turn back and come to the other side,” Sangma said.

According to Sangma, the three students were from outside the Northeast, while the two men were locals from Arunachal Pradesh.

He said he approached the men and asked them to let the students go. “I went and told them, ‘Please let them go. This is our student.’ But then they started beating them again in front of me,” he said.

Sangma said he eventually managed to negotiate with the men and believed the students had been allowed to leave. However, he alleged that the men again confronted and abused the students further down the road.

The students eventually managed to escape on their motorcycle, after which Sangma said the two men turned towards him.

“Then I was left behind, and they started attacking me. There was a security guard who came and tried to save me. They attacked him too,” Sangma said.

Sangma later consulted a doctor and said he had visible bruises and marks from the assault.

“I have seen the doctor. I have physical marks and bruises,” he said. He added that the incident had disrupted the students' activities at the institute. “The students are on a halt right now because of this,” Sangma said.

Police have registered an FIR at Balijan police station under Sections 115(2), 117(2), 126 and 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The accused have been identified as Techi Nanu and Techi Sanjay, both residents of Rakap village.

Police sources said the accused are still at large and efforts are underway to trace them. Further investigation is underway.

Sangma's wife, Karry Padu, also alleged in a Facebook post that the filmmaker had intervened after witnessing two young men assaulting students. She further alleged that an FTII security guard and four students were assaulted and wrongfully restrained during the incident.

Sangma, who hails from Meghalaya, is known for his work in Garo-language cinema. His film Rapture won the Best Garo Film award at the 66th National Film Awards.