A Meghalaya court has sentenced Banphrangkupar Nongbri to imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life without parole for murdering two women in Nongstoin in 2021. The District and Sessions Judge at Nongstoin convicted him in the case involving 79-year-old Phlesis Syiem and her 25-year-old domestic help, Maitlynti Lyngdoh Marshillong.
The twin murder case dates back to August 2021, when the two women were found dead in Nongstoin in West Khasi Hills district. Police later arrested Nongbri from Shillong and described him as the prime accused in the case.
Banphrangkupar Nongbri convicted in twin murder case
The court found Banphrangkupar Nongbri guilty of murdering both women. It subsequently imposed life imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life, meaning the sentence does not provide for ordinary parole.
The victims were Phlesis Syiem, aged 79, and Maitlynti Lyngdoh Marshillong, aged 25. Marshillong worked as Syiem’s domestic help. Their deaths had triggered a police investigation in Nongstoin and surrounding areas.
The court’s sentencing marks the latest development in a case that began more than five years ago. It also brings a judicial finding after the investigation, evidence collection and trial proceedings.
Murder of two women shocked Nongstoin
The murders took place in August 2021. At the time, police said the two victims had allegedly been killed at a residence in Nongstoin.
According to contemporary police reporting, the perpetrator had locked the house from outside after the murders. Police later arrested Banphrangkupar Nongbri from Shillong’s Nongrim Hills locality. Investigators also seized material evidence from his residence, according to police officials quoted in reports published at the time.
The deaths of an elderly woman and her young domestic worker drew attention because both victims were found in the same incident. However, the investigation had to establish the circumstances and responsibility through evidence before the court.
Banphrangkupar Nongbri was arrested in Shillong
Police made the arrest several days after the murders. On August 26, 2021, Meghalaya police said they had arrested the prime accused from Nongrim Hills in Shillong.
Officials said material evidence had been recovered from the accused’s residence. They also stated that the investigation would continue to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The arrest became a key step in the investigation. Subsequently, the case moved through the judicial process, eventually leading to the conviction of Banphrangkupar Nongbri.
Court imposes life imprisonment without parole
The latest judgment imposes a specific form of life imprisonment. Rather than setting a fixed number of years, the court ordered Banphrangkupar Nongbri to remain in prison for the remainder of his natural life without parole.
That distinction is significant because a sentence of life imprisonment can operate differently depending on the terms imposed by a court and applicable law. In this case, the sentencing order specifies imprisonment for the convict’s natural life.
The judgment follows the court’s finding that Nongbri was responsible for the murders of both women. Therefore, the conviction now forms the central judicial record in the case.
Banphrangkupar Nongbri case closes a five year legal chapter
The conviction closes a lengthy legal chapter that began with the discovery of the two deaths in Nongstoin in 2021. The case involved an elderly woman and her young domestic worker, whose deaths led police to pursue the investigation beyond the immediate crime scene.
The arrest in Shillong, the collection of material evidence and the subsequent trial ultimately led to the sentencing order. Meanwhile, the names of Phlesis Syiem and Maitlynti Lyngdoh Marshillong remain central to the case because the court’s judgment concerns their murders.
Overall, the sentence gives the 2021 Nongstoin twin murder case a clear judicial outcome. Banphrangkupar Nongbri will serve imprisonment for the remainder of his natural life without parole following his conviction for the murders.
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