‘Sohan desperate to recruit cadres’

RESUBELPARA: GNLA chief Sohan D Shira is forcing young men to join the outfit to strengthen his foot soldiers’ group, the statement of a 21-year-old surrendered cadre told police on Thursday.
Sengku M Momin surrendered at A’dokgre in North Garo Hills on Wednesday. During interrogation, he told police that Sohan is desperate to tide over the crisis of manpower.
“Earlier, GNLA would only extort money from coal quarries but now he has started abducting boys to force them into labour. Fifteen days before the Dymmit encounter in West Khasi Hills, Sohan had come to Sengku’s village (A’dokgre) and asked him to take his voters’ ID card and join the group,” police said based on Sengku’s statement.
Sohan’s group of 20-odd men ill-treated Sengku and beat him for petty mistakes. On reaching Dymmit village, Sohan’s men intimidated the inhabitants of a house and took shelter. All GNLA cadres stayed there for the night, the police added.
Sengku said he was suffering from some kind of skin cancer but would not complain fearing Sohan’s wrath and complete whatever task he was assigned. During the encounter, the young man used the chaos as shield to escape from the militants.
“The police found Sengku’s EPIC along with arms and ammunition from the GNLA hideout. Security forces were searching for Sengku, who had no other option but to surrender,” police said.