Mysteriously Thrown "Potatoes, Stones...[and] Other Household Articles" Afflict House in India

A house at Umtrew in the Ri Bhoi district of India has recently had "potatoes, stones…[and] other household articles" mysteriously thrown both inside and outside of it, reported The Shillong Times.

According to the house's owner, Kingstar Thongni, the strange events began Friday, July 17th, with unexplained knocking on the door of his parent's home, which lies only a few meters away from his own.

The family informed village leaders of the knocking and a search was conducted, soon after which stones started to land on the front veranda of Thongni’s house.

After seeing the stones, villagers continued their search, but found no one who might be responsible.

Thongni said that he and his family have been staying with his parents since Friday and haven't removed any material from the house, although an opened box of potatoes was found with an unidentified fingerprint on it. Thongni denied that the fingerprint belonged to him or his family.

Some of the stones and potatoes thrown at the house. (The Shillong Times) — Some of the stones and potatoes thrown at the house. *(The Shillong Times)*

Despite the presence of people patrolling the area, potatoes, stones, and other household articles continued to be thrown both inside and outside of the house.

A correspondent for The Shillong Times who went to interview Thongni reported that stones were thrown during their visit around 9 pm on Monday, July 20th.

Thongni claimed that there has been no other unusual activity in or around the house since his family moved in six months ago.

Witnesses from the village came forward to corroborate Thongni's testimony, saying that even as some of them were inside of the house and others were outside, stones and other objects were continuously thrown from the back of the house onto the roof and veranda. Some of the stones even fell on them, although no injuries were reported.

A lack of available suspects has prompted speculation of a paranormal explanation for the events, with mention made of another man from Pahamriniai village in the Ri Bhoi district who was said to have battled a ghost in his own home.

Apports, or the seemingly paranormal appearance of otherwise mundane objects, are often associated with the poltergeist phenomenon, although researchers are divided as to the source of the activity. Some believe that an immaterial being, such as a ghost or spirit, is responsible, while others believe that certain children have psychokinetic abilities that manifest around puberty which could be to blame.

A more measured approach, according to Singular Fortean Society lead investigator Tobias Wayland, might include both.

“I think it’s entirely possible for different phenomena to produce similar effects, the source of which might be difficult to discern,” he said. “In the case of poltergeists, I’m open to approaching each case individually, since I don’t see why ghosts or spirits couldn’t account for one case and psychokinetic children account for another—maybe even some strange combination of the two wherein one feeds off of the other. Or some other explanation entirely.”

Thongni does have two sons and a daughter, but their ages are not listed by The Shillong Times.

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