From Sandeep Sharma
GUWAHATI: Former Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) general secretary Chesterfield Thangkhiew died in an alleged gun battle with the police on Friday morning.
Police sources said that the incident took place at Meghalaya’s Mawlai Kynton Massar when police raided the house of the ex-militant leader.
The raid was in connection with the recent IED blast incidents at Laitumkhrah market in Shillong and Khliehriat Police Reserve.
Two persons, including a woman, were injured in an IED blast by HNLC militants at Laitmukhra in Shillong on Tuesday. Earlier in July, suspected HNLC militants triggered another blast at a police reserve barracks in East Jaintia Hills district headquarters.
As soon as the team entered the former militant’s house, sources said, he attacked the team with a knife and the police subsequently opened fire in retaliation.
Police sources said he was injured in the firing and was taken to a hospital, where the doctor declared him ‘brought dead’.
Police recovered one 9 mm pistol, one knife, a laptop and a number of mobile phones from the house of the former HNLC general secretary.
Police have also arrested Cherishterfield’s two associates from his house.
“He (Thangkhiew) was wanted in the IED attack in Khliehriat. We have evidence. A police team raided his house early today. On entering the house, he wielded a knife and attacked one of our constables who fired a retaliatory shot,” DGP R Chandranathan said.
Three persons were arrested in connection with that blast and two of them gave evidence of Thangkhiew’s direct involvement in the attack, an official working on the case said.
The wanted self-styled general secretary of the once notorious and banned militant organisation of Meghalaya surrendered before authorities in 2018.
Che, as he was fondly known, surrendered before Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong at the Police Headquarters in the presence of Director General of Police R P Agarwal among others.
A founding member of the Hynniewtrep Achik Liberation Council in 1987, Cheristerfield held the post of a general secretary when it was re-christened HNLC in 1997. The HALC was the first militant tribal outfit in Meghalaya.
