TURA: A militant from the United Garo Security Force (UGSF) outfit has surrendered before police in North Garo Hills on Wednesday.
Bablu N Sangma alias Ind and Breni, hailing from Samanda area of East Garo Hills, gave himself up to police and deposited a 7.65 pistol with five live ammunition.
The UGSF, a little known outfit, has been operating in the Jengjal, Anogre, Gabil, Samanda and parts of West Khasi Hills bordering East Garo Hills for the last three years. The outfit, said to be headed by a man identified as Jrong from Dalu, had tried to remain off the police radar by keeping a low key, police sources reveal that the group was instrumental in the kidnapping of a road construction engineer in the last week of September, last year.
Engineer Waseem Ahmed working for the Hyderabad based construction company BSC-C&C JV which is engaged in executing the Tura-Nongstoin-Shillong road project was kidnapped on September 29th while returning on a motorcycle from the construction site at Rongap-Megagre village to the company base camp at Samanda.
A week later, on October 7th, police commandos raided the hideout of the kidnappers at Gabil in a late afternoon operation leading to a brief exchange of fire after which the gang comprising of UGSF militants abandoned their kidnapped victim and fled leaving behind two double barrel shotguns.
The rescued engineer was safely brought back to Tura and reunited with his family.
