NGH cops nab kidnapping suspect

RESUBELPARA, Aug 20: North Garo Hills (NGH) police have nabbed a person allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a resident of Assam from Tura, following a narrow escape by the gang members during a police encounter at Dudhnoi in Goalpara district of Assam.
According to police sources, the arrest was made under the jurisdiction of Kharkutta police station, where one Ramu Ch Marak was taken into custody.
Marak, a resident of Meghalaya married to a woman from Assam, was reportedly part of a kidnapping gang with strong criminal ties. The gang, led by a former militant, remains at large, with other members still on the run.
The police encounter on August 18 left two gang members injured, including Marak, who was shot in the leg.
Despite his injury, Marak managed to flee, catching an electric auto and going into hiding before his eventual arrest on August 19.
The gang’s escape was thwarted by the police who recovered a scooty and mobile phones abandoned by the suspects at the scene.
The kidnapping victim, Sonamiya Sheikh, a mason by profession, was abducted from Tura on August 10.
Initially, the incident was dismissed as Sheikh having gone with friends, but a police case was filed after his family began receiving ransom calls.
Sheikh was then later handed over to other gang members in Boko, Assam.
After the failure of initial negotiations, the kidnappers allegedly tried to kill Sheikh by tying his hands and feet and drowning him in a pond in Boko in Assam.
Despite attempts to drown him in a pond, Sheikh miraculously survived and handed himself to Boko police, after which he was taken in by Meghalaya police.
The kidnappers, thinking him to be dead, still pretended to have custody of the victim and continued their demand for a ransom.
The initial demand was for Rs 50 lakh before it was downgraded to Rs 7 lakh following negotiations with the family.
A police operation then ensued, resulting in the Dudhnoi encounter and Marak’s arrest a day later.
The investigation, which initially saw little progress, gained momentum after Sheikh’s escape, ultimately leading to Marak’s arrest.
The police are actively pursuing the remaining gang members.