Baghmara MLA’s brother abducted
TURA: The younger brother of Baghmara legislator Samuel M Sangma was kidnapped at gunpoint by suspected GNLA militants from his residence at Gasuapara village of South Garo Hills on Thursday night.
Thirty-seven-year-old Naga Sangma was relaxing next to a bonfire with some friends in the compound of his walled house when three armed men, dressed in camouflages, entered the premises at approximately 7:30 pm and asked him to accompany them into the darkness of the night.
One of the militants who entered the premises wielded an AK rifle and a fourth armed ultra is said to have waited keeping watch on a bridge not far from the house of the victim.
The house of Naga Sangma is located inside Gasuapara away from the main road and approximately 600-700 meters from the police station.
Baghmara MLA and elder brother of the victim, Samuel Sangma, rushed from Shillong after learning of the abduction and is currently camping at Gasuapara.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Samuel Sangma said that they have no information on the whereabouts of his younger brother.
“I came to know that three armed men came up to my brother and said they wanted to talk with him and asked him to accompany them. Since then we have had no information about him,” a worried Samuel said.
He denied having received any demand note from militant groups recently. “We have no information about any demands being made to my brother or my family,” said the legislator.
Naga Sangma is a successful businessman who is engaged in coal export to Bangladesh through Gasuapara. He also looks after the business interests of his legislator brother.
Another younger sibling of the Baghmara legislator,
Xavier Sangma, is due to contest this year’s MDC elections of the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) from Gasuapara constituency itself.
Gasuapara falls under the Baghmara legislative assembly segment which is currently represented by Samuel Sangma.
South Garo Hills Police have, meanwhile, launched an all out operation to locate the kidnapped younger brother of the Baghmara MLA while the Border security Force (BSF) has been put on high alert all along the international border with neighbouring Bangladesh.
The house from where Naga Sangma was abducted at gunpoint is less than 4 km from the international border.
“All indications point to the involvement of the GNLA in the kidnapping of coal exporter Naga Sangma and even the modus operandi used is identical to that used by the banned outfit,” said senior police officials from Baghmara who are camping at Gasuapara and supervising the combing operations.
Security forces are zeroing in on two possible routes used by the militants to take away their victim on Thursday night.
“They will try to take him deep into Chokpot region which is close by and from there towards the Durama Hills which is the stronghold of the GNLA. Another option would be to try and smuggle him across the border into neighbouring Bangladesh where they have logistics support,” said police officials, while stating that the prime indication appeared to be the Chokpot route.
“Our special teams are trying to intercept the group and halt their escape through combing operations,” said Baghmara Police officials.