From Our Correspondent
Nongpoh: Ri Bhoi police have foiled a nefarious design of the outlawed Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) to set up its Byrnihat command with the arrest of area commander of Hahim City Command Hydelson Sangma along with four of his accomplices on Monday.
Hadar, based in Khanapara along the Assam and Meghalaya border in Ri Bhoi district, was involved in the kidnapping of a businessman on November 16 from Umiam, who was released later after paying a huge ransom to the outfit.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Ri Bhoi Superintendent of Police Claudia Lyngwa said Hydelson, one of the main arms transporters of the GNLA, was arrested at Sukanjhal under Bokajan village near Dimapur. He was trapped on the basis of a confession made by another GNLA cadre Karneshwar CH Sangma alias Kiran who was arrested in connection with a kidnapping case in Umiam. One Malwari Mahesh Agarwal, the manager of the industrial estate in Umiam, was kidnapped by GNLA cadres on November 19 from Barapani.
She said police launched a massive manhunt to trace Agarwal in Umiam area, Industrial Estate, Umrynjah, Umsawriang and Umsaw. On Friday last, the GNLA released Agrawal after his family paid the ransom. The following day, police arrested Karneshwar CH Sangma alias Kiran in Nongpoh while he was on his way to Guwahati. On the same day police arrested one Md Kamal Hussain.
Acting on the lead provided by Kiran, police on Sunday arrested two other GNLA cadres from Nongstoin – Immanuel CH Sangma, younger brother of Kiran and Mizoram lad Benjamin Hmar. Police seized one 9mm revolver and two rounds of ammunition from their possession.
On Monday, a police team under Deputy Superintendent of Police (Headquarter) B.J Laloo went to Sukhanjal and arrested Hydelson Sangma. Police recovered Rs 2 lakh, given by Agrawal family as ransom, from him. Lyngwa said all the arrested were involved in transshipment of arms and ammunition for the Garo outfit. She did not rule out their links with NSCN (IM). Hadar, who was booked under Meghalaya Preventive Detention Act earlier and released in 2010, was allegedly involved in transshipment of arms for the outfit from Dimapur via Assam to Meghalaya, Lyngwa said.
According to sources, police action has foiled the GNLA’s bid to set up its Byrnihat Command.
The arrested were produced in court on Tuesday. They were later remanded to 14-day police custody.