Mob kills GNLA militants

SHILLONG, JAN 27: Enraged by the constant threat and extortion, an angry mob in the West Khasi hills village had beaten up two Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) militants to death after they tried to extort money from villagers and coal labourers on Saturday.

Police said the two were beaten up and killed by the angry mob at Tyrah coal quarry near Nonghyllam village in West Khasi hills district on Saturday last, they said.

Police informed that the two GNLA militants had come to the place on Saturday with the intention of extorting from coal labourers in the area. The GNLA is active in coal belt of the district and often extorts from the coal labourers.

However on Saturday, the villagers, including coal labourers, who were already harassed by the militants of the GNLA on several occasions, decided to rough up the two militants and the end result was that both of the militants died.

Confirming the incident, South West Khasi hills Superintendent of Police Debangshu Sangma said according to preliminary reports received by police the two militants were attacked by an irate mob after they tried to manhandle and rough up local villagers by boasting of being GNLA cadres.

“What followed was an uncontrolled release of fury by the angry crowd which beat them to death,” Sangma informed even as he added that by the time police reached the spot everything was over.

The bodies of the two suspected rebels are awaiting post mortem as well as identification.

“A diary recovered from one of the deceased indicates that he could be Holy T Sangma a wanted cadre of the GNLA and we have sent a police team to bring his family members to ascertain his identity,”  Sangma said. The identity of the second person is still unknown.

GNLA demand notes and a kukri were also recovered from the deceased. – By Our Reporter