Williamnagar: The militant who was once dubbed as a cat with nine lives having survived countless number of raids on his hideout by security forces, finally ran out on his last one.
Sohan D Shira, founder of the banned Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) outfit whose name and actions spread fear through the length and breadth of Garo Hills was finally killed in a police operation on Saturday , six days after the murder of an NCP candidate in an IED blast suspected to have been perpetrated by him and his group.
Police commandos from the elite Special Force-10 (SF-10) caught up with the militant and his band of rebels high up in the hills of Dobu, close to the border with West Khasi Hills and South Garo Hills on Saturday morning bringing to an end the law of the jungle from the barrel of the militants’ gun.
The dreaded militant chief of the GNLA was taking shelter in a makeshift camp on a hill top at Dobu Bawanggre, close to Garegittim area which is a tri-junction that connects East and South Garo Hills with West Khasi Hills district.
The group of militants numbering a dozen were taking shelter in their makeshift camp when it was hit by SF commandos who launched an all-out attack at 11:51 AM.
Sohan was the first casualty in the operation as he came in direct confrontation with the commandos who were just yards away from where he was positioned.
According to police commandos who took part in the operation, the militant leader was caught unawares of the commandos having come so close to his hideout and on seeing them tried to react by immediately opening fire from his Heckler and Koch automatic rifle.
It was too late.
The commandos retaliatory fire was precise. It blew off a portion of the militant’s head killing him on the spot. He also sustained multiple hits on his upper torso falling where he had stood and bringing to an end the years of tyranny and bloodletting perpetrated by him and group which has led to countless loss of lives in the Garo Hills.
Sohan was the prime suspect in the killing of NCP candidate for Williamnagar, Jonathone N Sangma, who was killed in an IED blast while returning from a campaign programme near Sawilgre village of Samanda on Sunday last.
Following the gruesome killing, police began multiple operations to nab the elusive rebel who continued to have one step ahead of the security forces each time.
“Last night we had received information about the probable location of Sohan Shira and ULFA commander Dristi Rajkhowa and their group in Dobu Anchengbok and Bilwatgre village. Accordingly we launched an operation at 4 AM and finally caught up with him in an encounter at around 11:30 AM,” informed Meghalaya police chief S B Singh.
Clearly, the task was daunting for the police teams who had to climb several hills and wade through streams deep in the interior before finally locating the camp site.
“After the IED blast at Samanda, we expected the GNLA chief will try and flee towards the Khasi Hills border. So we threw a huge security dragnet all along the East and South Garo Hills border with West Khasi Hills and finally managed to intercept them. It has been a commendable work done by the entire police force in Garo Hills and west Khasi Hills,” said S.B. Singh, Meghalaya DGP.
He also informed that Sohan and his team were able to give police a slip in the past as they used the inter-district border to escape after committing the crimes.
Sohan hailed from Nengmandalgre village, located across the Simsang river near Williamnagar town of East Garo Hills.
Mukul-Conrad lauds police operation
Meghalaya chief minister Mukul Sangma congratulated the police for the successful operation. He told the media that the effort and commitment of the police forces is commendable, as this would restore peace and normalcy for the future prosperity of the state.
“Due to insurgency people had started losing hope in the preceding years but with stained effort of the government, we could instill faith and people stood firmly to achieve collective peace”, the chief minister said while speaking to the media at Chiading village.
He said that people have been very supportive of the security forces and government had invested substantially to strengthen the security forces, which remained the top agenda to restore peace in Meghalaya. “I believe that with some more endeavour we will be able to restore permanent peace in Meghalaya”, he added.
He also stated that to achieve permanent peace effort has to be made for a multi-pronged approach, which can generate hopes amongst the people particularly the youth. “We must remember that North East is a part of the conflict zone and remains to be the most vulnerable due to the porous international border which provide access to easy arms and ammunition”, the chief minister said.
He remarked that collective and concerted effort was required both from the state and the central government to strengthen the internal security of the nation. “I have taken up the matter of trans border movement in North East where access to sophisticated arms and ammunition are smuggled through Bangladesh, Myanmar and China”, he added.
Tura Lok Sabha MP Conrad K. Sangma also congratulated Meghalaya police for the successful operation. In a statement, Conrad said, “The effort of Meghalaya police is highly commendable. Despite difficulties and odds, the police have been able to achieve a breakthrough to kill the most wanted rebel. I believe that the tireless effort of the police have finally yielded result. This will surely enable the state to march towards all round development free of fear and terror.”
The GNLA had set a record of sorts in its years of terror and mayhem making Garo Hills its killing fields. In 2014, the outfit had killed a women in presence of her husband and four young children at Raja Rongat, near Chokpot in South Garo Hills, which attracted wide spread condemnation.
Sohan and former DSP Champion Sangma had floated GNLA in 2010 with the demand for creation of separate Garoland. Sohan was earlier part of the now disbanded A’chik National Volunteer’s Council (ANVC).
Champion is currently lodged in Shillong jail. He was arrested in Bangladesh in July 2012 and handed over to Meghalaya police. In his absence Sohan was the de facto chief of the outfit and had been involved in heinous crimes.
In 2015, Meghalaya police had announced Rs. 10 lakh reward for providing any information on his whereabouts.