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🇮🇳 India /Conflict & Security

Meghalaya encounter exposes possible interstate contract-killing and ransom network

From Hindustan Times · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Under investigation
  • Meghalaya police say Sunday’s encounter in East Garo Hills killed four suspected criminals and exposed a possible Assam-Meghalaya contract-killing and ransom network.
  • One of the dead, Alason Marak, was allegedly involved in the Aug. 23 killing of Assam businessman Abu Syed.
  • Police launched the operation after receiving information that armed men planned to abduct National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation officials for ransom.

A police encounter in Meghalaya has opened a possible link between a businessman’s murder in Assam and an alleged plan to abduct highway officials for ransom.

Four suspected criminals died after police stopped a Bolero at a checkpoint in Songsak Reserve, East Garo Hills, at about 4 a.m. on Sunday. Police said the occupants opened fire when they saw officers, prompting a brief exchange in which the team responded in self-defence.

credible source information regarding the movement of armed miscreants towards Songsak

— Swapnil Pawar VasantraoThe East Garo Hills police chief described the information that prompted the checkpoint operation.

The four men were found seriously injured inside the vehicle and later died in hospital. Meghalaya police identified them as Alason Marak of North Garo Hills and three men from Goalpara, Sustom Rabha, Kalam Ali and Bobidul Islam.

On noticing the police personnel, the occupants opened fire on the police team.

— Swapnil Pawar VasantraoHe described the police account of how the encounter began.

The Assam connection emerged when Assam police identified Marak as the alleged gunman in the Aug. 23 killing of businessman Abu Syed in Damra. Four people arrested in that case allegedly told investigators that money had been given to Marak to carry out the killing.

The encounter followed an intelligence-led operation involving Meghalaya’s anti-terror squad, East Garo Hills district police and Songsak police. Officers had received what the superintendent of police described as “credible source information regarding the movement of armed miscreants towards Songsak,” allegedly to abduct officials from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation for ransom. Assam police are expected to seek custody of the recovered firearms for ballistic examination.

The police team immediately responded in self-defence, resulting in a brief exchange of fire.

— Swapnil Pawar VasantraoThe statement explained the police justification for returning fire.
About this summary

Originally published by Hindustan Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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