Demand note indicates GNLA involvement
NONGPOH/SHILLONG: In an alarming development, security personnel on Friday recovered a powerful bomb from a car at Rangsakona village under Byrnihat police outpost, Ri Bhoi district.
The bomb, planted by suspected Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants, was later diffused by a team of bomb disposal squad.
According to police, bomb was recovered from a car (ML-10-B-1044) owned by a contactor — Gilbert Sangma.
The contactor said that the militant group demanded Rs 6 lakh and threatened to kill him.
The contractor first found the demand note, served under the letter head of the GNLA, in a backpack, which was kept near the windshield of his vehicle.
Sangma immediately informed the matter to Rangbah Shnong who immediately called police.
A police team led by the Superintendent of Police GD Kharwanlang rushed to the spot and the bomb squad from Shillong defused the bomb at around 2 pm.
As stated in the demand note, Gilbertson Sangama informed that about twenty people were involved in the case and another bomb also were kept hidden nearby his house that will be blasted if the demand was not met.
Speaking to this newsman, bomb squad in-charge, B. Purkayastha said that it was a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED), which can be triggered with a mobile phone SIM card from a distance. The other bomb, which GNLA claimed was hidden near Sangma’s house, was yet to be found, Purkasyastha said. The search for it was on when reports last came in. Police have ascertained the mobile numbers of the suspects and efforts are on to track them.
