2 kidnappers killed in encounter; minor boy, taxi driver rescued

Guwahati: Meghalaya police killed two suspected kidnappers and rescued two other kidnap victims including a minor boy in an incident in the West Garo Hills district on Thursday

According to West Garo Hills district superintendent of police Vivekanand Singh Rathore, the police successfully rescued a minor boy who had been kidnapped from Goalpara in Assam and a taxi driver Bikas Chetia who had been taken from Tikrikilla in Meghalaya on November 4 and 9 respectively.

Police also recovered one AK series rifle, one pistol, one camouflage bag with 23 rounds of 7.62 mm and 9 rounds of 9 mm ammunition along with other incriminating materials from the encounter spot.

The SP told ANI a total of 33 empty cartridge cases were also found from the encounter site. These include 9 mm 19 and 7.62 mm 14 empty cartridge cases.

“One Bikas Chetia of Guwahati, Assam who is a taxi driver by profession was allegedly abducted from Meghalaya’s Tikrikilla on November 4 and a case was registered at Tikrikilla police station Case No. 24(11) 22 u/s 364A/506 IPC. Subsequently, on November 9, Assam’s Goalpara Police informed that one child has also been kidnapped and kept in West Garo Hills. In this regard, a case vide Lakhipur police station Case No. 418/22 u/s 365/387/34 IPC was registered. Accordingly, investigation was conducted and it was found that both the persons have been abducted by same gang of criminals from Meghalaya as well as Assam. Subsequently, based on findings of investigation, a counter-insurgency operation was launched on November 9,” Vivekanand Singh Rathore said.

The SP further stated that a location in the Dibru Hills Forest Reserve close to Bamandanga/Gaptuli was where the gang members and victims were discovered by the operation team, which was led by SP(T) and comprised of Additional SP(T), SDPO(D), SDPO(R), CI(S), OC Phulbari, and other officers and subordinate ranks.

“However, the armed miscreants also saw the police team. They immediately fired at the police team which also retaliated in self-defence.

The exchange of fire continued for approximately 2-3 minutes. Once the exchange of fire stopped, the place of occurrence was cordoned and thoroughly searched during which two unidentified dead bodies were recovered. Both the abducted victims were also rescued,” the SP of West Garo Hills district said.

He added that a pistol and an AK series rifle were also seen lying next to the victims.

He said that all legal requirements have been completed.

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