From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: Jaintia Hills Police on Thursday morning arrested former HNLC chief Julius Dorphang and seven of his associates, all surrendered HNLC cadres, at Khliehriat.
The seven surrendered cadres include Iit-janai Sunn, Meborn Rapthap, Hermon Pakyntein, Richard Mawthoh, Armstrong Batiar, James Lyngwah and Roning Dohling.
The arrests were made on the basis of a complaint lodged by Testlang Rymbai, a local coal merchant of Wapungskur on February 16, wherein he had alleged that the former HNLC chief along with some of his accomplices had trespassed into Rymbai’s coal mine at Madan Briwar and assaulted his drivers and also demanded Rs 50 lakh from him.
Earlier, Jamrish Rymbai of Mynso village had also lodged a complaint against Dorphang and his associates for allegedly trespassing and looting coal from his coal mine at Briwar.
Sources informed that Khliehriat Police planned to lay a trap for Dorphang and his men and accordingly summoned the complainants and the accused at Khliehriat Police Station on Thursday.
When both the parties arrived, Police immediately arrested Dorphang and his associates. All the arrested persons were produced in the court of the First Class Magistrate, Khliehriat Sub-divisional Office, who later remanded them in five-day police custody.
Dorphang and others were brought to Jowai Police Station in the evening.
Media persons were unable to click photos of Dorphang and his men as Police had kept them behind the lock up.
