School principal kidnap case
TURA: Tura police have arrested another member of the AHAM ‘social’ organization raising the tally to four persons involved in the kidnapping of a school principal on Wednesday.
The Four men allegedly belonging to an organization formed by former GNLA militant outfit Chairman Champion Sangma were arrested when Tura police intercepted a vehicle in which they were taking a kidnapped school principal from the plains belt region out of Tura town on Wednesday night.
Principal of Garodubi Higher Secondary School in Rajabala constituency, Islam Haque Chaudhury, was kidnapped in broad daylight from outside the District School Education Office (DSEO) at Tura and taken away in his own Swift Dezire vehicle ( ML05 Q 7467) by the four men who reportedly belonged to the ‘social’ organization A’chik Holistic Awakening Movement (AHAM) headed by the former militant leader.
Although the abduction occurred around 3 O’clock in the afternoon, police were tipped off almost a full six hours later.
“We were informed about the kidnapping only around 9 PM and we immediately swung into action setting up road blocks and naka checkings. Within half an hour one of our search teams intercepted the vehicle with the abducted principal and three other persons at Rongram and detained them,” revealed West Garo Hills Superintendent of Police MGR Kumar while speaking to The Shillong Times. A fourth accomplice of the gang was taken into custody, later.
The four AHAM members now in police custody have been identified as Chiangka Ch Marak alias Bromeo (23), Sengkam Ch Marak (26), Alphonce D Sangma and Chakseng T Sangma (27).
They were moving their kidnapped victim out of Tura towards the Paikan highway when police intercepted the vehicle.
A case of abduction has been registered against the arrested men based on the FIR filed by principal Islam Haque Choudhury who had to be taken to civil hospital in Tura after having sustained assaults at the hands of the kidnappers.
Interestingly, the arrested men claim that the principal was being taken by them for questioning following a rape allegation levelled against him by a woman.
A woman claiming the same arrived at the Tura police station close to midnight to substantiate their claim and register a complaint against the principal.
In her complaint to police, she accused the principal of committing rape on her in the month of June at Hotel Rikman in Tura. She also added that the accused had warned her against revealing the incident to police.
In the light of the girl’s revelation, the Garodubi school principal was also arrested and transferred to the under trial prisoner (UTP) cell of the Tura civil hospital.
Police sources say that the AHAM members were allegedly trying to extort money from the family of the principal after coming to know about the alleged rape when they were busted.
It is also worth mentioning that the arrested principal, Islam Haque Chaudhury has a history of dubious dealings. He was previously arrested and sent to jail and the license of his school to conduct SSLC exams revoked after allegations surfaced about mass copying during examinations.
