Meghalaya: Most wanted GNLA terrorist arrested in South Garo Hills

Meghalaya Police on Sunday evening arrested a most wanted terrorist of Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) in Meghalaya’s South Garo Hills district.

The arrested militant was identified as Nikrak M Sangma alias Kaltush who is the commander of GNLA.

South Garo Hills district Superintendent of Police Abraham T Sangma said that, Nikrak M Sangma was arrested at Rongara area on Sunday evening.

Nikrak M Sangma had crossed over to India from Bangladesh and was returning back when he was intercepted by the South Garo Hills police team en-route to Bangladesh. He was moving in guise of a local villager when he was identified and arrested very close to Indo-Bangladesh border, Abraham T Sangma said.

The top Meghalaya cop further said that, some GNLA terrorists along with other criminal and militant groups like United Liberation Front of Asom Independent (ULFA-I) and Bangladeshi criminals are trying to re-group and revive militancy in Meghalaya’s Garo Hills area.

This activity was going on under the leadership of the arrested GNLA terrorist. He had joined the GNLA in 2011 and he belonged to the third batch of the outfit. He crossed over to Bangladesh in 2015. Since then, he was operating from Bangladesh and was supplying materials like uniforms, weapons and ammunition to GNLA, prior to the death of Sohan D Shira, the Commander-in-Chief of GNLA in 2018," Abraham T Sangma said.

He also said, "Thereafter, while most of the active terrorists of GNLA surrendered before the police, Nikrak M Sangma continued to stay in Bangladesh and supported other militant groups and Bangladeshi criminals in activities like extortion, criminal intimidation, organising kidnapping of Indian nationals for ransom."

The arrested GNLA terrorist is a wanted accused in several terrorism related cases in different districts of Garo Hills region.