Champion arrested due to efforts of India, B’desh: CM
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: A day after the arrest of the GNLA chairman Champion Sangma, the State police on Tuesday said the next target would be the C-in-C of the proscribed outfit Sohan D Shira.
Talking to The Shillong Times here on Tuesday, the State DGP N Ramachandran said, ” Sohan D Shira who is the military strategist of the outfit has to be arrested to neutralize the GNLA.”
According to Ramchandran, Champion Sangma was looking after the political activities of the outfit, while Sohan D Shira was the head of its armed wing.
The DGP said the arrest of Champion is a very significant development and it will help police to neutralise the outfit which has unleashed a reign of terror in Garo Hills.
Champion, whose outfit is fighting for a separate Garoland, was arrested from Umkrem, Pyrwdiwah area in East Khasi Hills district, about 80 km from Shillong, after he was, reportedly, pushed back by Bangladeshi authorities across the boundary.
The GNLA chairman is wanted by police for masterminding several crimes, including killing and extortion, in insurgency-ravaged Garo Hills.
Champion Sangma was later remanded to 14-day police custody.
Ramachandran informed that the interrogation of Champion had been going on since Monday. He, however, refused to divulge anything in this regard.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has said Champion was arrested due to sustained efforts of India and Bangladesh.
“The arrest of Champion is the result of sustained efforts of both the governments (India and Bangladesh) to eradicate the menace of terrorism from our soil,” the Chief Minister told a news agency.
“We are hopeful of similar positive results in the near future to ensure peace in both the countries,” he added.
It was earlier reported that the rebel leader had been arrested by police in Bangladesh in November 2010.
Dr Sangma said the Indian government would continue to engage with neighbouring countries to flush out northeast rebels who are taking shelter in their territory.
“Our prime minister himself led a delegation to Bangladesh to strike a bargain on a number of issues, including security and border security with that country,” the Chief Minister said.
NCP hails Champion’s arrest : Meanwhile, Opposition NCP in on Tuesday lauded the arrest of Champion saying the government should not be complacent with the militant outfit.
“We congratulate the government and the state police in particular for having arrested Champion,” Opposition leader Conrad K Sangma told a news agency on the sidelines of a party meeting here.
He, however said, the police should not derive any self gratification out of the arrest of the rebel chief as his arrest is insignificant if the outfit is not neutralised.
“The government should address the actual problem as to why several outfits have cropped up in the Garo Hills region in a very short span of time.
They should not bask in the glory that the GNLA chairman is under police custody but look for solutions to the myriads problems that plague the Garo Hills,” Conrad said. (With inputs from agencies)