IB officer's killer gunned down

FROM OUR STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, Feb 15: One of the most wanted extremist of Meghalaya, the deputy commander of ASAK, Sengbathson D Shira alias Sengbath was killed following a heavy exchange of gunfire at Kemdang in South Garo Hills (SGH).

It may be mentioned that Sengbath was the masterminded behind the kidpping and execution of cloth merchant Kamal Saha and Vikas Kumar Singh, ACIO-II, SIB who was working in Rongara in South Garo Hills district.

Sengbath and his gang is under continual hot pursuit by the SGH police to b them. Many of Sengbath’s close associates were arrested during the last four months but Sengbath remained elusive to police. However, on Sunday, the police, following intelligence inputs launched a coordited operation from different directions towards Kemdang village. Sensing police presence, Sengbath tried to escape by getting out of the police cordon by firing at the police. In the retaliatory fire from the police, Sengbath lost his life. His persol pistol, mobile phone, live ammunition was recovered from the encounter site by the police.

Sengbathson D Shira had been indulging in a series of kidppings and extortions in South Garo Hills area under the overall control of Reading T Sangma, the self styled Commander of ASAK. Reading T Sangma remains the most wanted crimil for his heinous crimes against innocent people in the me of ASAK. Reading T Sangma had conspired in brutal elimition of the SIB officer and other victims.