Garo Hills body refutes extortion slur

SHILLONG: The Association for Democracy and Empowerment (ADE) on Friday refuted allegations of extortion in West Garo Hills.
In a statement, the organisation said that the news published in The Shillong Times and Salantini Janera on April 25 is “baseless”.
Dalseng Bira Ch. Momin, president of the ADE, said members of A’chik Holistic Awakening Movement (AHAM) had created a ruckus at NH-51 in Jengjal area and not them. The incident took place around 4 am on April 3, when demand for money was made on Bhutan trucks carrying boulders for export to Bangladesh.
The members of AHAM stopped the trucks and demanded Rs. 3000 from each and on being refused they took away the keys of the vehicles, the ADE alleged.
Momin said, “These people in two Bolero vehicles bearing registration numbers ML-08 8877 and ML-08 8819 swooped down on the vehicles to extort money. The truck drivers reported the matter to some of the locals of the area who reported the matter to me. At that instance, I reported the matter to Rongram Beat House caught the perpetrators at Rongram after they fled the scene fearing altercations. Today they filed an FIR against me because I reported the matter to the police. At the time of the incident, I was at home and not even present in the crime spot.”
Earlier, former militant leader Champion Sangma, who is also a member of AHAM, filed an FIR against ADE accusing it of extorting money. However, a counter FIR was filed against AHAM by Masdin B Marak saying that the group had stopped his trucks and demanded money. The president of ADE said that Sangma is trying to tarnish the name of the organisation by personally attacking him.
“I challenge the allegation that I was extorting Rs.1000 per truck and term their accusation as baseless. I am neither a consigner nor the consignee of the said export business. And if I was involved then why the manager of the trucks file a case against the five members (Kingston Bolwari Marak, John, Huisang Sangma, Sengrak Ch. Momin and Sengjrang N. Marak and others) of AHAM,” Momin said.