Ultras gun down Garo village chief
From Our Correspondent
TURA: Suspense and fear stokes the villagers of Jeldupara hamlet, 5 km from Assam’s Hallidyganj town, inside West Garo Hills border of the State following the gruesome killing of its village chief by a mixed group of suspected GNLA and NDFB militants during the midnight hours of Wednesday over what is believed to be a case of supremacy fight between the Garo outfit and its predecessor — the ANVC. The incident occurred close to Selsella town, not far from Garobadha, a frontal town near Tura.
Police were informed about the tragic sequence of events only on Thursday morning. As many as ten heavily-armed militants in camouflage dress swooped down on the sleepy hamlet shortly after midnight and surrounded the house of Greatenson Marak, nokma of Jeldupara. They called out the inmates of the house and severely assaulted one of the nephews before opening fire on the uncle killing him on the spot.
The nokma, aged approximately 48 years, sustained two bullet wounds to his chest and another to his stomach leading to his death.
The militants are believed to be a mixed group of Garo, Boro and Rabha cadres representing the three outfits with the sole intention of fleecing the local organisations and business establishments.
The militants had earlier served a demand note on the village chief but the prime reason for his killing appears to be the sale of a large plot of land to a senior ANVC leader which appears to have triggered the outfit’s retaliatory action.
Police in Tura inform that the nokma had sold a large plot to one of the senior ANVC leaders from Tura which apparently did not go down well with the GNLA that has been targeting the ANVC on its agenda. The outfit doesn’t see eye to eye with the ANVC that is currently under a ceasefire with the State and Central governments.
The GNLA have since long been issuing statements to target the ANVC accusing it of working with the government against its interest.
The ANVC on the other hand blames the GNLA for the spurt in militant activities in the three districts of Garo Hills and wants the State and Central governments to clamp down on the new group.
