TURA: South West Garo Hills police have busted two separate hideouts of a kidnapper’s gang involved in a string of abductions of people from neighbouring Assam and successfully rescued two victims from the gang’s clutches during a late night operation in Betasing area on Monday.
Just two days ago a 75-year-old cashew trader abducted near Betasing was killed and his body dumped in Damalgre, near Tura while the whereabouts of his 12-year-old nephew taken captive remains unknown.
On Monday, police raided Arenggre village in Betasing and rescued Sudhir Haldar (63), a construction manager with a Garo Hills based company and arrested three gang members.
Haldar had been kidnapped on May 28 while visiting Hajongpara village in Betasing block.
The three arrested men have been identified as Newbirth Marak (21), Phang Sangma (18), and Emlath Sangma (18) all hailing from Jelbongpara village of Betasing.
The trio belonged to a new self styled outfit called the Liberation of Achiks Matgrik Army (LAMA) headed by former AMEF action commander Goran.
Following their arrest, a second operation was launched the same night at Chondon Nokatgre village of Betasing to nab LAMA chief, Goran who however escaped.
The operation led to the rescue of another trader identified as Hafizur Rahman.
Rahman is a resident of Fekamari village in South Salmara, Dhubri district of Assam. He was kidnapped while travelling through Garo Hills.
“The arrested have confessed to being members of LAMA. We have come to know that a mixed group is operating with them,” informed Ampati SP Aditya Goenka whose men were behind the twin successful rescue operations.
Despite the successful rescue, several cases of abductions remain unsolved in Garo Hills.
