TURA, AUG 5: A gang of notorious criminals involved in the recent abduction of a truck driver from Assam were compelled to surrender before Meghalaya police late yesterday as continuous operation was on in South Garo Hills.
“Based on lead given by arrested gang members on August 1, we continued our operation in Chokpot area and yesterday around 11 pm, a group of five members came forward to surrender”, said Anand Mishra, South Garo hills SP.
All the members of the gang were former cadres of Asak outfit.
The members have been identified as Sengchang N. Sangma alias Miksong 24, Babujan Sangma, 21, Akbar Momin, 19, Grikseng Marak, 18 and Dalbit Sangma alias Surak, 36. They laid down a carbine machine gun, magazine, two SBBL gun, two-walkie talkie and huge cache of ammunition.
Meghalaya police rescued truck driver Bittu Patel on August 1 after an encounter in the Chokpot area, wherein three gang members were also arrested. Patel was abducted on July 29, following a search operation launched in the remote Chokpot region.
The encounter took place at Tengkigre village, near Chokpot where the gang members had a makeshift camp.
“The five members, who surrendered yesterday had managed to escape from the encounter (August 1) taking advantage of the nearby village settlement and difficult terrain”, Mishra added.
Mishra said that the gang members approached church leaders and other eminent persons of Baghmara and expressed their desire to surrender to the district police team as police were continuing their massive operation in the jungles of Chokpot region, known for insurgency’ hotbed.
“The surrendered gang members have agreed to face trial as per law”, the SP informed.
Mishra stated that the gang members have accepted that they were responsible for a series of kidnappings in the area, served demand notes, extortions, and circulation of fake currency, including cross-border crimes.
South Garo Hills region is close to India – Bangladesh border.
Mishra informed that the gang members worked in tandem with Asak outfit under the leadership of self-styled commander-in-chief Reading Sangma, a former cadre of Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), an outfit considered as the most dreaded rebel group in Meghalaya. “As they have made themselves available, promised to cooperate with investigation and face trial as per law, they were not arrested. After due procedures, recording of statements etc. they will be forwarded to the MLP run temporary rehabilitation Centre at Goeragre in Tura”, Mishra added.-From Our Correspondent
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