Insurgency / Meghalaya

TURA, April 9 — The huge cache of arms seized by the West Garo Hills Police on Tuesday evening after an encounter with militants was meant for the banned ULFA. The outfit had planned to transport the armoury from Garo Hills to Assam to attack security forces and disrupt normal life during its raising day, which passed of Monday. Documents seized from the encounter site reveal these facts. The arms shipment was brought all the way through Bangladesh and concealed in Chisikgre village of West Garo Hills, bordering Assam, since the last two weeks, highly places sources revealed.

A team of ULFA...

SHILLONG, April 5— There is no move to bring the Garo Hills under the purview of the Disturbed Areas Act, Meghalaya Home Minister, R G Lyngdoh has said. Talking to The Assam Tribune in his office chamber here Friday, the Home Minister said the government does not want to deploy army in the militant-infested Garo Hills. “Army deployment usually leads to harassment of innocents as witnessed in the neighbouring states,” Lyngdoh observed. He, however, cautioned that if the situation did not improve in the Garo Hills the government might be compelled to seek military assistance.

Meanwhile, the...

SHILLONG, April 1 — Abducted Customs Inspector Dipak Mahanta and three other coal exporters were released from the custody of the banned NDFB in a jungle near Williamnagar in south Garo Hills on March 30 ending the 30 day-old kidnap drama.

Commissioner of Customs, DD Ingti told newsmen this afternoon “I received the information about their release from Mahanta himself last night over telephone.” Mahanta rejoined his widowed mother and sister at his Biswanath Charali residence in Sonitpur district around midnight last. “But for the malnourishment and lack of sleep he has suffered, Mahanta is...

SHILLONG, March 19 — All export operations to Bangladesh from Assam and Meghalaya have been suspended from March 17 in the wake of the abduction of a customs officer and six exporters by suspected NDFB and PFLM militants on February 28 last from Ghasuapara in South Garo Hills.

Commissioner of Customs DD Ingty told newsmen in the evening that the decision of suspend operations will affect the lucrative Rs 200 crore annual export from Meghalaya alone.

“We have informed the Meghalaya Government that the customs authorities have been constrained to suspend the exports from the land customs...

SHILLONG, March 17 — Meghalaya is preparing for a major offensive against militant outfits in the Garo Hills amidst reports of intrusion of large numbers of Assam militants into the State. A senior police official said the ongoing operations by the Meghalaya Police against militant outfits would be intensified once the Centre clears Meghalaya’s request for BSF support to flush out the extremists who have sneaked into the State from Assam.

Confessions of three arrested NDFB militants have led the police to believe that nearly 100 NDFB activists including its Chairman Ranjan Daimary and...

SHILLONG, Feb 17—Security has been geared up in the entire state which goes to the polls on February 26. Meghalaya, Director General of Police L Sailo informed newspersons that about 45 companies of security forces including the state police will be deployed to ensure smooth conduct of the Assembly polls.

Assistance of the BSF would be sought if required, Sailo said, adding that besides the existing ten companies of CRPF, three battalions of state police and one newly-recruited battalion, the Centre had sanctioned 15 companies of additional forces to be deployed in the state. Sensitive and...

GUWAHATI, Feb 3 ? For close to six weeks, Dr P Bezbaruah, the District Medical Health Officer in Meghalaya?s East Garo Hills district, was kept moving around the deep jungles in the Garo Hills after being kidnapped by the militant Achik National Volunteer Council (ANVC) on the fateful evening of December 19. Today, after being released by the Garo militant group on January 29, he is back among family and friends. Though his over 40-day agony has, fortunately, not left much of a physical scar, it has left him mentally strained.

Dr Bezbaruah, originally from Sivasagar, came to his Guwahati home...

Shillong, Jan. 30: The hostage has returned, but his ordeal has exacted a heavy price from him physically and emotionally.

East Garo Hills district health and medical officer Prakash Bezbaruah, who was released yesterday at 12.30 pm by militants of the A?chik National Volunteers? Council (ANVC), is in poor health. He expressed his wish to spend more time with his family. He was abducted on December 19 while on his way home in Williamnagar.

A diabetic, Bezbaruah today said over phone, ?I am all right though physically and mentally I?m weak and I want to take rest.?

Speaking to The Telegraph...

SHILLONG, Jan 29 ? Dr PN Bezbaruah, District Medical and Health Officer, Williamnagar, was released from the captivity of suspected ANVC militants, at Williamnagar around 12.30 pm today. Meghalaya DGP L Sailo informed The Assam Tribune this evening that Dr Bezbaruah who was taken hostage on December 19 last year, was ?OK but weak?. He was released by his abductors at the outskirts of Williamnagar from where he walked home to rejoin his family after 42 days of captivity. The ANVC had placed a demand of Rs 30 lakh for his release. It is believed no ransom was paid to the abductors. ?It was the...

SHILLONG, Jan 29 ? Meghalaya Police is investigating possible British connection of the banned Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC). East Khasi Hills District SP, Ida Nongrang this evening told newsmen that the External Affairs Ministry has been approached to verify the antecedents of a British national, Timothy Paul Minds, student of Oxford Brooks University.

The development emerged after the police today arrested a HNCL overground activist in the State capital and recovered one American M-16 rifle and a Chinese assault rifle in a raid. The police also recovered some ammunition and...