Militants who attack Deborah arrested

Shillong, Dec 6: A day after Meghalaya home minister HDR Lyngdoh directed the police to pull  up its sock and go hammer and tongs after the militants in Garo hills, East Garo hill police arrested seven A’chik National Liberation Council (ANVC-B) militants responsible for attacking former deputy chief minister and Meghalaya Congress working president Deborah Marak during the football final prize distribution ceremony.

The arrest of the seven ANVC (B) militants were made Thursday at about 2.30 pm at Rongjeng while they were travelling in a sumo bearing the number ML 07 8927. The arrested militants have been identified as Singbirth N Marak,Sengnang N Marak, Noresh D Sangma, Walman K Marak, Marsan K Marak, Eggnil T Sangma and Jetil Marak.

East Garo hill Sp JFK Marak told this reporter that the seven were traveling from North Garo hills to East Garo hills and they were incepted by the police in Rongjeng. He said, “However all the seven ANVC (B) were not carrying any firearms with them.”

Marak said Singbird N Marak seems to be the senior most cadres who had led the attack by firing in the air and then accosting Deborah Marak during the football final prize distribution ceremony. He, however, said that as of now police do not know under whose instruction the seven ANVC (B) militants had attacked Deborak Marak.

Marak said, “We are still interrogating the seven militants and as of now they have not told the police under whose instruction they did, what they did.” He hoped that my tomorrow the police will hopefully be able to know what was the motive of the attack on Deborah and who had ordered it.

In another incident of militant attack on politicians, Meghalaya Community & Rural Development (C&RD) minister Saleng Sangma’s residence was attacked on December 1. Militants lobbed a grenade on the private residence of the minister in Tura. Fortunately only the wall and window panes of the house were destroyed. The minister was in Shillong during the attack. A GNLA militant who had lobbed the grenade was arrested immediately.- By Our Reporter