Abduction of cop, his friend in Garo Hills
TURA: A little known group calling itself the A’chik National Cooperative Army (ANCA) has claimed responsibility for the attack on a policeman and abduction of a student on the Tura-Dalu road on Saturday afternoon.
A police constable of 5th MLP Battalion, Avijeet Mazumdar who was travelling on a motorcycle with his friend and B.Ed student Saumendu Chakraborty was waylaid by four armed men in a car at 7th Mile.
The attackers shot the policeman and kidnapped the student after the former put up a fight during the abduction attempt. The policeman sustained two bullet wounds, on his neck and upper back, but managed to escape and reached the safety of the main road where he was helped by travellers passing through the road.
In a communiqué to The Shillong Times on Monday afternoon, the self-styled western commander of ANCA, Rikrang Marak alias Bath Marak staked claim for the twin incidents.
He acknowledged that William Marak was a senior leader of their group and criticised police for arresting his wife whom the outfit claims to be innocent.
“William’s wife had no role in the entire episode. They (police) should leave the families alone and catch us instead” stated the ANCA leader who claims to hail from Jadi area of Nangalbibra.
It is worth mentioning that the arrested wife of William has allegedly confessed to destroying crucial evidence of the shooting case by washing the blood stains off the car. The car and a motorcycle used in the attack has been seized by Tura police on Sunday.
On the same day the abductors released Saumendu Chakraborty near the Gambegre road and police sources reveal that the family paid Rs 5 lakh as ransom to the gang for his safe return.