Two mercenaries held in Tura for planting bomb that killed 3 cops
TURA: West Garo Hills police have made a crucial breakthrough into the July 26, 2014 IED blast at Tebronggre near Rongram, targeting a police vehicle in which three policemen had lost their lives, following the arrest of two mercenaries who allegedly planted the bomb on that fateful afternoon.
Tura police raided a house in Sunny Hills locality of the town on Friday and arrested Changki A Sangma and Briting A Sangma, both residents of Tebronggre village.
Changki is believed to be the prime accused in the planting of the IED device and police had been on his lookout for over a year and a half. He is also said to be the main suspect behind a string of abduction and robbery cases along the Tebronggre-Dadenggre route.
According to police sources in Tura, the two arrested men had been giving their services to the highest bidder among militant organizations and were allegedly directed by a particular rebel outfit to plant the IED on the Tebronggre road to target police teams patrolling the area from Rongram up to Dadenggre.
On July 26, 2014, a routine patrolling by the Rongram police led by Sub-Inspector P. Rechhil, I/C of Rongram Outpost, was heading towards Dadenggre in a police gypsy when the IED planted on the right side of the road at Tebronggre, 6 km from Rongram town, exploded just as the vehicle negotiated a turn at approximately 4:30 in the afternoon. Tebronggre is 18 km from Tura.
Constable Lembartu Suchiang, who was behind the wheel, and two battalion constables seated at the back – Arphius Khymdiet and Rahul Marak – received the full impact of the blast.
Khymdiet died from his wounds while being transported to Tura for medical treatment while Suchiang passed away during emergency medical treatment at Tura Civil Hospital itself.
Marak who was transferred to Guwahati for treatment that same evening also passed away The GNLA outfit emerged as the prime accused in the IED blast despite the armed organization denying their involvement. Police did not rule out the role of the ANVC-B, either.
Despite the best attempts of the Police department to identify the culprits and bring them to book, the trail had gone cold for over a year until the dramatic arrests of the two prime accused from the heart of Tura on Friday.