Garo rebels kill 3 kidnapped victims
TURA: In a chilling incident of cold blooded murder, unidentified militants abducted four persons and took them towards the Nokrek Biospere hills above Sasatgre-Chandigre village and later lined them up and opened fire on Monday afternoon killing three of the captives while one survived with a bullet injury.
One of the victims is said to be former politician and contractor Rutherford R Marak of Araimile locality in Tura. He had contested unsuccessfully GHADC elections from Babelapara constituency in Purakhasia.
Police in West Garo Hills district came to know of the gruesome killings only after the lone surviving member of the group, descended from the hill with a bullet injury and narrated the tale to villagers who rushed him to the nearest police outpost at Rongram on Monday evening.
The identity of the injured victim is not being released following a request from the family.
Till the filing of this report the bodies were yet to be located even as security forces have launched a massive combing operation to locate them.
The deceased, Rutherford Marak had gone to Sasatgre-Chandigre village with his friend on Sunday afternoon to inspect a proposed project to draw electrification line for the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana that provides electrification for BPL families when they were taken away at gunpoint.
While they were inspecting the site of the project four armed men arrived on the scene and took them away further into the densely forested hills. One of the armed men wielded an AK rifle while his three accomplices carried pistols.
The militants initially frisked both captives and snatched a sum of Rs 20,000/- from the friend and another Rs 10,000/- from Rutherford Marak along with their mobile phones.
The militants then ordered both captives to arrange ten lakh rupees each for their safe release.
When the kidnapped victims spoke of their inability to cough up such a huge amount but were willing to gather what they could from their savings, the armed men refused to yield.
Both were kept tied up throughout Sunday night and by Monday morning found two other civilians being brought up to the same spot by the militants.
They were not allowed to communicate with the other two captives brought in during the morning hours.
By late afternoon the situation took a turn for the worse when the leader of the group who was wielding the AK rifle lost his patience on not being able to extract the amount demanded from the victims.
All four captives were taken next to a stream and lined up for an execution.
The leader of the group holding the AK rifle opened indiscriminate fire from close range hitting all four captives.
Rutherford’s friend was hit on the head by a bullet which grazed past his skull. He collapsed along with the others. When he regained consciousness in the evening he found his friend Rutherford and the two other captives dead. The men who pulled the trigger were to be found nowhere.
He managed to crawl down the dense forests and landed up at a village pleading for help. Villagers rushed him to safety.
Alphabet B used by executioners : The militants who kidnapped four civilians and later opened fire killing three of their victims on the foothills of Nokrek national biosphere park near Sasatgre-Chandigre reportedly mentioned the word “B’ before the shooting began.
On Monday afternoon, after the militants had lined up the four victims for execution the leader of the pack who held the AK rifle had reportedly told his victims that they would now have to face the wrath of the “B” for their refusal to give in to their demands.
Whether the word “B” was meant for Boss, Bee, or even the Breakaway faction of the ANVC (ANVC-B) remains unknown but the area where the incident took place has previously been known for the activities of the GNLA and the recently formed A’chik National Liberation Army (ANLA).
The killings come just days after another civilian was kidnapped and executed by another group of Garo militants in North Garo Hills district.
A small time coal businessman, Bitnath Marak (22) was taken away at gunpoint from his residence at Nogolwoodland under Mendipather police station on Saturday morning.
He was killed with a shot to his head and the body was dumped in a jungle area at Rongbu village near Chibonga, opposite Kharkutta. Villagers informed authorities after noticing the body on Sunday afternoon.
North Garo Hills police believe the crime was committed by an outfit calling themselves A’chik National Liberation Central Army (ANLCA).
The ANLCA is said to be behind the kidnapping of the Nokma of Songsak Bonegre village on January 23rd, this year.
The nokma, Kredinath M Sangma (41), was taken from his house in the village during the late hours of the night. The militants had targeted the Nokma for ransom since he had recently received land compensation to the tune of 78 lakhs for the ongoing National highway-44 E that will connect Tura with Shillong via East Garo Hills and through Nongstoin.