Killer of IB officer shot dead by police

SHILLONG, FEB 15: A’Chik Songna An’Pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK) self-styled deputy commander Sengbathon D Shira alias Sengbath,  who was involved in the kidnapping and execution of an IB official, was gunned down by the state police at a remote village in South Garo hills district.

Shira,  the most wanted militant from the region, was shot dead in Kemdang village under Baghmara Police Station in the early hours of Sunday, Inspector General of Police (IGP) GHP Raju said.

Sengbath had masterminded the kidnapping and execution of late Vikas Kumar Singh, ACIO-II, SIB, working in Rongara in South Garo Hills district.

On the fateful day, September 24, 2015, at around 8 am , Sengbath and his gang waylaid and kidnapped at gun point late Vikas Singh and another petty cloth merchant Kamal Saha, who were on their way to Baghmara, at Panda Reserve Forest.

Sengbath and his gang have executed both the victims by smashing their heads with a blunt object on the same day of kidnapping and buried their bodies in the Panda Reserve forest, Raju said.

The police, after intense combing and search operations in the Reserve Forest, had recovered the dead bodies of these two victims on October 24, 2015.

Sengbathson D Shira, alias Sengbath, and his gang was under hot pursuit by the police to nab them. Many of Sengbath’s close associates were arrested during the last four months but Sengbath remained elusive to police.

Acting on tip off that Sengbath was visiting Kemdang village to collect ration from the villagers yesterday, South Garo hills police launched a coordinated operation from different directions towards Kemdang village, Raju said.

Sensing police presence, Sengbath tried to escape by getting out of the police cordon by firing at the police. In the retaliatory fire from the police, Sengbath lost his life, Raju said.

His personal pistol, mobile phone, live ammunition was recovered from the encounter site by the police.

Tarsman D Shira, elder brother of Sengbath and Shri Bockar D Shira, maternal uncle of Sengbath, have identified his dead body which was brought to Baghmara Civil Hospital for post mortem examination.

According to Raju, Sengbathson D Shira had been indulging in a series of kidnappings and extortions in South Garo hills area under the overall control of Reading T Sangma, the self-styled commander of ASAK.

Reading T Sangma remains the most wanted criminal for his heinous crimes against innocent people in the name of ASAK. Reading T Sangma had conspired in brutal elimination of the SIB Officer and other victims.

Kidnapping and subsequent execution of SIB officer Vikas Singh and businessman Kamal Saha from Rongara by Sengbath drew a lot of criticism from many quarters.

Meghalaya high court, in its order dated November 2, 2015, had also highlighted about this kidnap case.-By Our Reporter