ASAK militants arrested during operation

TURA, JULY 8: Nine A’chik Songna An’pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK) militants that include two top leaders were arrested by the police during an anti-insurgent combing operation in and around Williamnagar areas in East Garo hills district on Tuesday morning.

“The ASAK’s Williamnagar East Area commander, Merak Sangma alias Suanggre and Operational commander Dinesh Ch Marak alias Blackboard were among the nine arrested during the combing operations against the militants holed up in Williamnagar and adjoining areas,” a senior police official informed.

Of the nine, militants were arrested from Williamnagar and three from Rongjeng.

Apart from the two top leaders, the other arrested have been identified as Minibirth Sangma, Pagal Sangma alias Balwa, Walman Sangma, Isak Sangma, Selbi Arengh, Sabat Marak and Rikran Momin.

The police officer said that all these ASAK militants who were  arrested on Tuesday are originally from the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) and are the most wanted criminals in Garo hills  for their involvement in extortion, killing and abduction cases in the five districts of Garo hills.

ASAK is a newly floated militant outfit led by GNLA’s former finance secretary Reading T Sangma.

As per preliminary interrogation, the arrested militants revealed that GNLA’s commander in chief Sohan D Shira has amassed crores of rupees from big contractors, BSC C&C construction company and from many people related to coal business, the police officer said .

The police officer informed that according to the arrested ASAK militants, Sohan’s wealth is around Rs 30 – 40 crores and now the GNLA leader wants ceasefire agreement so that he can contest the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council elections.

The officer said, “Dejected by the greed of the top GNLA leader at the cost of Garo people, they   have left GNLA and joined Reading group as they wanted to teach Sohan D Shira a lesson for his betrayal of Garo society.”

Further, the arrested militants said during interrogation that their ASAK commander Reading T Sangma is committed to Garo cause and he fought with Sohan D Shira and went against Sohan.

Reading T Sangma was the finance secretary of GNLA and later demoted by Sohan as the grievance secretary of GNLA that let Reading to leave GNLA and form ASAK for helping the Garo society, the militants said during preliminary questioning.

The ASAK arrested militants have lamented that GNLA is represented mostly by Sohan D Shira clan for making money.

“According to them, Sohan D Shira is using only D Shira clan members as area commanders of GNLA, Rakkam the area Commander of Nongwalbibra is also D Shira. Piliport D Shira is also the area Commander of Resu area,” the police officer said.

Three pistols, ammunition and other incriminating materials were seized from the arrested ASAK.- From Our Correspondent