By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 29: A former Area Commander of the GNLA (Garo National Liberation Army) Northern Zone, Laden Ch. Sangma alias Chenang, has been arrested 14 years after murdering a school teacher.
On July 19, 2012, a group of armed GNLA militants, led by Chenang, went to the house of Denybirth Momin at Resu Mepan Abri village and brutally murdered him outside his home, in front of his wife and relatives. The militants accused him of being a police informer. Denybirth, a respected science and mathematics teacher at Resubelpara Higher Secondary School, was well-known in the area.
At the crime scene, police recovered four empty AK ammunition casings, two empty 9mm casings, and a letter on GNLA letterhead, signed by the GNLA Area Commander, claiming responsibility for the killing.
A case was registered at Mendipathar Police Station in North Garo Hills, but the investigation remained stalled for years due to a lack of sufficient evidence.
Initially, police faced significant challenges in gathering information, as fear prevented witnesses from coming forward. However, the investigation persisted, and after years of effort, authorities gathered enough evidence to arrest Laden Ch. Sangma. He was apprehended in Baghmara on March 27, 2025, by a police team from North Garo Hills.
During interrogation, it was revealed that Sangma was part of the first batch of GNLA militants and had received training in the Durama Hills of Garo Hills. By 2012, he had risen to the rank of Area Commander of the Northern Zone.
Before joining the GNLA, he was involved in the business of selling traditional A’chik swords (Millam), A’chik shields (Sepi), and A’chik ornaments, which led him to travel to various villages across the Garo Hills.
It was during one of these trips that he met Sohan D Shira, the founder of the GNLA and a former member of the ANVC, at Nengmandalgre. Over time, he developed an acquaintance with Shira, which ultimately led to his involvement in the militant organisation.