Bangladeshi policeman among 4 members of armed gang arrested
From Our Correspondent
MAWKYRWAT, Aug 9: Four Bangladeshi nationals, including a Bangladeshi police constable, who were part of a criminal gang that was allegedly involved in attacking and kidnapping a youth in South West Khasi Hills were arrested on Saturday in a joint operation by the district police and the Border Security Force.
South West Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police, Banraplang Jyrwa disclosed that on August 8, at around 1 am, a group of suspected Bangladeshi gang armed with pistols and other sharp weapons numbering around 8-9, forcefully entered one shop at Rongdangai village while the victim, Balsrang A. Marak (21), was sleeping. The gang pointed a pistol on Marak’s head and demanded the phone number of the shop owner.
Jyrwa said that the miscreants handcuffed the youth and took him towards New Rongdangai village and while they were walking behind and planning to kill him by slitting his throat, the youth slowly freed his hands tied with a towel, ran inside a house in the village and locked the door from inside.
The miscreants chased him to the house, banged the doors from outside and fired some pistol shots. Terrified, the house owners opened the door, allowing the miscreants to enter the house and assault Marak.
After assaulting him, the criminals told the residents of the house to take him for treatment.
Jyrwa said police received information around 2:15 pm on Friday from one person that some armed miscreants had entered his house near Khonjoy village, following which a team from Nonghyllam Police Station rushed to the spot. On seeing the police team, the miscreants ran to the nearby forest even after police asked them to stop and fired two warning shots in the air.
Jyrwa said the police personnel recovered some items left behind by the miscreants including axe, screw driver, money, wireless, mobile phone, etc. and one Identity Card of a Bangladesh Police constable identified as Marufur Rahman.
On Saturday morning, the residents of Khonjoy village caught one of the miscreants and handed him over to the police. A massive search operation was launched by the South West Khasi Hills Police in collaboration with the BSF and the locals of Khonjoy area, resulting in the arrest of three other members of the gang from a forested area in the village.
Jyrwa said that these arrested miscreants were identified as Jahangir Alom (25) of Sadar Jamalpur; Saen Hussain (30) of Narayanganj; Mefus Rahman (35) of Comilla; and Marufur Rahman (32) of Jamalpur, who is a Bangladeshi police constable.
Jyrwa also informed that the Bangladesh police constable was severely injured after the irate mob assaulted him and he was admitted to Ranikor CHC for treatment.
The SP said the three others also suffered minor injuries in the mob attack. They will be produced in the court on Sunday.
The police official said they have not been able to interrogate any of the accused, adding that police are still waiting to confirm whether Marufur Rahman was a genuine Bangladeshi police constable even though he admitted that the Bangladesh Police ID BP911139470 was his.
Jyrwa also stated that the police will be able to ascertain whether more Bangladesh cops were part of the international criminal gang, only after interrogating the arrested persons.
Asked about the youth who narrowly escaped with his life, Jyrwa said he was severely injured and was referred to Shillong Civil Hospital and his condition is stable.
The SP further stated that an operation is under way in the Khonjoy area to arrest the other miscreants who managed to flee.