TURA: In a case of pressure groups trying to impose their own diktats and laws, members of the Federation of Khasi-Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) severely assaulted a trader from Assam at Rongsak Bazar of East Garo Hills on the pretext of checking for trading licenses by non-tribal businessmen leading to his death late Thursday afternoon.
Three among the four assailants were arrested the same day while one fled only to surrender to police on Saturday. All four accused in the assault case are members of the FKJGP, inform police.
According to East Garo Hills police, the Assam trader, identified as Johirul Islam (45) of Goalpara district, along with his brother-in-law Sofijur Rahman had come to the weekly Rongsak market to supply bakery items when the FKJGP members accosted them and on the pretext of demanding trading licence assaulted them.
The grievously injured Johirul Islam was rushed to the nearby Bansamgre primary health centre by the general public where the medical doctor on duty declared him dead.
Following the incident police arrested three of the assailants, namely Tamseng Marak (26) of Samanda Megapgre who is the additional secretary of FKJGP, Wonder M Sangma (27) of Bansam Awe who happens to be the FKJGP president and Taichan M Sangma (24) an executive member of the same organisation.
The fourth accused in the case, chief organising secretary of FKJGP Rikrak N Sangma of Samanda Megapgre fled from the scene after the attack on the trader. He gave himself up to police on Saturday and all four accused have been remanded in police custody for six days.
Preliminary inquiry reportedly indicate that the accused were trying to collect money from traders on the pretext of trade licence checking leading to an altercation and subsequent assault that caused the death of the trader.
