TURA: Former Garo militants are said to be the mastermind behind the December 31st abduction of a trader from Krishnai town in Assam whose family paid a whooping Rs ten lakh for his release.
This was revealed by a member of the criminal gang who was arrested by North Garo Hills police on Thursday from Resubelpara’s Bakrapur area.
The accused Emphu Momin (21) revealed to police that the seven- member gang included two former militants of the GNLA who deserted the outfit and later surrendered to police and had spent time in jail.
The two leaders of the gang who are deserters of the GNLA have been identified as Sengsan Momin alias Asong of Nokatgre and Kalu from Dalu town in West Garo Hills.
The Krishnai based trader Samad Ali was kidnapped by the gang and brought across into Meghalaya side of the border while the group awaited the payment of the ransom money.
Villagers spotted the gang and their captive at Nokatgre area and alerted police. Together with security forces the villagers began a search operation forcing the gang to flee with their victim back into Assam. They released the trader near Kukurkata village, on the Assam-Meghalaya border, on Wednesday.
The victim had to be admitted to a hospital in Goalapra town due to injuries sustained from assaults by the criminal gang.