Public heat on army raid for allegedly passing off slain villagers as militants
TURA: The early morning operation by army personnel at Darang Petchong village of Kharkutta which led to the death of two persons on Tuesday is slowly turning into a major controversy with villagers and Garo Hills pressure groups revealing that the deceased were not militants but innocent villagers ambushed while returning from a game hunt.
The Garo Students’ Union and other pressure groups from Kharkutta and North Garo Hills region are now demanding justice for those killed and calling for adequate compensation for the families of the two persons shot dead.
The Dogra regiment of the army based at Damra in neighbouring Assam had claimed that they shot and killed two militants and apprehended another two from the same group during an encounter in a forest area. The army also claimed that two pistols were recovered from the encounter site.
The claims of the army appear to be falling apart as villagers came forward to reveal that the deceased were not militants but locals who had gone into the forest to hunt for birds and wild animals during the night.
The pressure groups state that the four inhabitants of the village, Jackie N Arengh (28), Selba M Momin, Dilnat Momin and Lobin Momin had entered the forests with locally made guns to hunt for game during the night.
Before dawn broke the four friends had returned with wild porcupine and some birds and sought refuge in the house of their companion Dilnat Momin which was located on the fringes of the village reserve forest.
The four had divided the game meat amongst themselves and with dawn breaking Jackie and Selba decided to leave for their respective homes.
According to the NGOs the two villagers were fired upon by army and police personnel lying in wait a little distance from the house they had just left leading to their death.
“The claim by police and army that two hardcore terrorists were shot dead is an invented story created by police spokespersons,” stated the GSU and its allied organizations.
The NGOs are demanding the unconditional release of the two other villagers taken into custody by the security forces.
It may be mentioned that the army stands accused of allegedly planting the two pistols in the midst of country made guns recovered after the killing of the two persons.