Our Correspondent
TURA:
One of the top leaders of the ACHIK organization and a supporter of the separate state movement, Balkarin Marak, accused of being part of the group behind the Tura violence on July 24th, has been arrested from a hideout in East Garo Hills after being on the run for more than a month.
West Garo Hills police teams, aided by East Garo Hills police, raided Samanda block’s scenic Bansamgre village on the banks of the Simsang tributary in the wee hours of Sunday morning and nabbed Balkarin Ch Marak from a house where he had been taking shelter.
He has since been sent to two days police custody.
He is the second ACHIK leader to be arrested for the Tura violence after former Meghalaya Civil Service officer Labenn Ch Marak, who was taken into custody on August 17th.
Currently, a third wanted leader of the ACHIK group, advocate and general secretary of the group Smt. Bernita Marak, continues to be on the run, refusing to surrender after more than a month since the violence.
The July 24th violence occurred at the commissioner of divisions office in Dakopgre, where the chief minister, Conrad K. Sangma, was holding discussions with ACHIK and other organization leaders to discuss their demand for Tura to be made the winter capital of the state.
The extensive stone pelting and arson attacks led to scores of police personnel and civilians being left injured and dozens of vehicles damaged, including police fire tender trucks and gypsies set ablaze by anti-social elements.
Following the incident and police action leading to over 50 persons being arrested for alleged involvement in the violence, the three top ACHIK leaders, namely Labenn, Bernita, and Balkarin, fearing arrest, tried to secure anticipatory bail from the Meghalaya High Court but were denied the same.
All three have been booked under the non-bailable Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, which gives police 180 days for an investigation.