TURA:
The gunman who was killed in a late night encounter with police in Chibinang area of Phulbari, under Dadenggre civil sub-division, on Sunday has a track record for links with a former Garo militant outfit called United A’chik Liberation Army (UALA).
The UALA was disbanded in 2016 under a Meghalaya government rehabilitation scheme, and its former commander- in-chief Singbirth N Marak, who went by the name of Norrok X Momin and had turned rogue, was shot dead, a year later, by North Garo Hills police during an encounter.
The Chibinang gunman, who fired on a police patrol party at Magalpara village of Chibinang in the dead of night has been identified as 31-year-old Wali A Sangma of Darakona village in North Garo Hills. He had settled down in Chambakpara village of Chibinang after his marriage. His body was handed over to relatives after the post mortem.
“He (Wali) was arrested earlier in 2015 for committing extortion on behalf of the UALA,” informed West Garo Hills superintendent of police V S Rathore.
The police chief also revealed that the gunman was not alone when he attacked the police team with a sophisticated AK rifle.
Villagers from the adjacent area where the encounter took place are said to have seen a few boys running away after the encounter on Sunday night. Police are continuing a search of the area to catch the rest of the gang whose members are said to number less than half a dozen.
The group had been planning to kidnap traders from the plain belt region who were coming towards the hills to purchase arecanut cash crop for export to Assam.
A tip-off to police led to intensive patrolling and vehicle checking at vulnerable points of the vast plain-hill region during Sunday night which ultimately resulted in a gun battle after the criminal gang opened fire on a police vehicle only to face returning fire that killed one of their members.