Williamnagar, July 14: East Garo Hills Police have confirmed through DNA profiling that an unidentified decomposed body recovered in July 2025 was that of James R. Sangma, the alleged accused in the murder of a woman at Samgong village under Williamnagar Police Station.
According to a police statement, Williamnagar Women Police Station received a written complaint at around 8:35 pm on July 18, 2025, alleging that a woman had been brutally assaulted with a machete by Sangma at Samgong village at around 4 pm the same day. The woman died from her injuries.
Police subsequently registered Williamnagar Women Police Station Case No. 13/2025 under Section 103 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and launched an investigation. Sangma allegedly fled after the incident, prompting an intensive search by district police, but he could not be traced.
On July 29, 2025, a highly decomposed and unidentified male body was recovered from Dawa Matchakolgre villageunder Williamnagar Police Station. The clothes found on the body were identified by family members as belonging to Sangma. A mobile phone and rosary recovered from the trouser pocket were also identified by the family as his belongings.
A separate case was registered at Williamnagar Police Station to establish the identity of the deceased and investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.
Police said biological samples collected during the post-mortem examination, along with blood samples from Sangma’s siblings, were sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory for DNA profiling and expert examination. The laboratory found a biological relationship between the unidentified deceased and Sangma’s siblings.
The forensic findings, along with oral, documentary and other evidence gathered during the investigation, established that the body was that of James R. Sangma, police said.
The statement further said that Sangma had also been named as a wanted accused in another case registered at Williamnagar Women Police Station under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
Following completion of the investigation, police submitted the final report in the 2025 murder case before the competent court. District police said the investigation was conducted fairly, impartially, professionally and scientifically, using all available legal and forensic measures.
As the matter is now before the court, police appealed to the public to refrain from speculation and the dissemination of misinformation.
