From Our Correspondent
TURA: A three-member armed group of suspected GNLA militants entered a village across the Simsang river near East Garo Hills district headquarters of Williamnagar on Tuesday night and opened fire injuring a woman from the village whom they accused of collaborating with the police against their outfit.
The militants, allegedly led by the GNLA operational commander Jennie alias Ringrang swooped down on Nengmandalgre village, 6 kms from Williamnagar, at around 7:30 pm and entered the house of Mrs Rabilla Ch Marak (Walsangma).
They accosted the lady and the husband and accused her of working for the police in giving details about the movement of militants in the area. Despite her denials the militants opened fire injuring her on the left hand and one side of her buttocks. Before they fled the village the militants opened several rounds of blank fire and even left behind a note condemning her for her actions. She has since been shifted to Tura Civil Hospital for surgery and is reportedly out of danger. Police later recovered from the scene of the crime four empty bullet cases of an SLR rifle and ten empty rounds of a China-made rifle. It is believed that the GNLA may have accused her of collaborating with the authorities because of a recent incident in which their deputy area commander identified as Dilseng was gunned down outside the village by SWAT commandos of the district police. Police deny any involvement of her passing information about the activities of the militants. Co-incidentally, over eight years ago her first husband was shot dead by ANVC militants led by Sohan D Shira over allegations of being a police informer. Sohan Shira is now the commander-in-chief of GNLA.
Meanwhile, the GNLA political secretary Bikdot Nikjang Marak was quick to counter police denials while reiterating his outfit’s claims that the victim was involved in gathering information.
“We had no intention to kill her. We only wanted to punish her because she refused to listen to our warnings. She was found collaborating with police on two previous occasions also,” claim the GNLA leader.
The militant leader even went to the extent of issuing a threat that three other women collaborators of the police from the area have been identified and action was being mooted against them.