HPC Henchman Held In Silchar; Arms And Ammunition Recovered

SILCHAR: On a specific tipoff, 37 Assam Rifles (Alpha Company) and Assam police carried out joint operation in the Gobindapur area of Hmarkhawlien, targeting the residence of Lalovchi Hmar, masquerading as the general secretary of HPC (P), a breakaway faction of HPC (Hmar People’s Conference) and took in the process his accomplice Lalbiakung (26) in their dragnet. Lalbiakung was found moving in the area in a suspicious manner in close proximity to the house of Lalovchi. It was the early morning of Tuesday.

His bodily search resulted in the recovery of a key from his pocket. Upon insistence, he led the team of security men to the house of Lalovchi. His locked house was opened and a thorough search led to the recovery of one 16 M rifle, one AK 56 rifle, 63 rounds of ammunition, Rs 22,000 in cash, two binoculars and one mobile phone.

Lalbiakung along with the seized arms and ammunition was handed over to Lakhipur police station where he was interrogated. He was produced before the sub-divisional judicial magistrate court at Lakhimpur today which remanded him to four-day police remand. Lalovchi is absconding, but a hunt has been launched to arrest him. The joint operation was led by Capt. Praveen Kumar of Assam Rifles and Anurag Sharma, sub-divisional police officer, along with Shankar Bania SI of Lakhipur police station.

Apprehending retaliation by HPC (P), all police stations of Lakhipur subdivision have been put on alert. The incident is a clear indication that the subdivision encircled by Dima Hasao district and Manipur continues to be a trouble zone with forays by extremists, their arrest and seizure of arms and ammunition. Admittedly, the backbone of militancy has been broken and it is the splintered groups in wilderness which often create trouble.

Also Read: CACHAR NEWS