TURA: Sustained counter insurgency operations by Garo Hills police and peace efforts by church leaders have led to the surrender of two former GNLA militants and an associate in separate events in the Garo Hills.
While one of the GNLA rebels gave himself up at Resubelpara in North Garo Hill, another surrendered at Tura with his associate and handed over two pistols.
The two rebels who surrendered before West Garo Hills deputy commissioner Ram Singh and superintendent of police M G Raghavendra Kumar had been planning to form a new rebel outfit.
The former GNLA rebel Silgrak D Sangma alias Kalu (25) hails from Magupara village of Barengapara border town in the district. He belonged to the 4th batch of GNLA recruits.
His associate Bushtin D Sangma alias Tarun, Sikra also hails from Magupara village.
Police had got wind of the duo’s plans to start a new outfit and launched a series of counter insurgency operations in the area of their movement.
At the same time, Church leaders were encouraged to mediate with both men leading to their coming over ground. They surrendered with two pistols and eight rounds of ammunition.
In another surrender event in the North Garo Hills region, a GNLA deserter Sengsan R Marak (30) alias Asong gave himself up to police.
Sengsan joined the GNLA in 2011 and had been previously arrested by police. After witnessing the fragmentation of the GNLA in North Garo Hills following mass surrenders, Sengsan deserted the group taking away an AK 56, a carbine machine gun, 7 pistols and 400 live rounds. He went on to form a criminal gang calling themselves ‘Asong Rakgipa’ and indulged in extortion and abductions. He was warned of execution by GNLA chief Sohan D Shira and action commander Baichung for not returning the GNLA weapons
Sengsan and his gang were involved in the abduction of a businessman from Krishnai town in Assam on December 31st, last year.
They had kept the businessman captive inside North Garo Hills when police launched an operation and safely rescued him on January 4th.
However, he did not hand over any weapon at the time of his surrender on Thursday prompting police to quiz him about the stolen weapons from the armoury of the GNLA.
