Police launches massive manhunt to nab killers
From Our Correspondent
NONGSTOIN: A group of seven GNLA cadres armed with AK-47 rifles and SLR rifles shot dead two gate-keeper of Songsak village, West Khasi Hills district on Thursday night at around 9:20 pm.
The two gate-keepers — Arbinius D Sangma (27) and Bahkan G Marak (21), both residents of Songsak village in West Khasi Hills district — were killed in cold blood inside their house.
The State police have launched a massive manhunt to arrest the gunmen involved in the killing.
“We have launched a massive manhunt to nab the perpetrators and we are hopeful of catching them soon,” West Khasi Hills district Superintendent of Police, R Muthu, said on Saturday.
He said the killings were related to extortion money demanded by the GNLA earlier and also to create fear psychosis among people, particularly the coal businessmen of the area.
Sources informed that the GNLA had earlier demanded an amount of Rs 20 lakh from the Songsak Mahari toll gate in West Khasi Hills district.
Meanwhile, Dr T Syiem of Shallang PHC, West Khasi Hills district, who conducted the post-mortem on the bodies, said that two bullets each had been pierced into the victims’ bodies.
The local police said that the dead bodies were handed over to the relatives of the deceased after the post mortem.
It may here be mentioned that the killing comes barely ten days after Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh, during his visit to Shallang police outpost, had promised the local people that the outpost would soon be upgraded into a full-fledged police station to provide full security to the coal traders and residents of the area. (With inputs from UNI)