Meghalaya: Former GNLA area commander arrested for killing a school teacher in 2012
Meghalaya: Former GNLA area commander arrested for killing a school teacher in 2012
Digital Desk: In a key breakthrough, the North Garo Hills Police apprehended former Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) Northern Zone Area Commander Laden Ch. Sangma, alias Chenang, for his role in the horrific murder of a schoolteacher in 2012.
The incident dates back to July 19, 2012, at around 10:30 p.m., a group of five armed GNLA militants led by Sangma attacked Denybirth Momin's house in Resu Mepan Abri village.
Momin, a distinguished Science and Maths teacher at Resubelpara Higher Secondary School, was gunned down outside his home in front of his wife and a relative.
Four empty boxes of AK ammunition, two empty cases of 9mm ammunition, and one letter in the GNLA Letter Pad signed by the GNLA Area Commander claiming responsibility for the killing were found at the scene.
A case was filed at the Mendipathar Police Station in the North Garo Hills District, but it remained pending for years due to a lack of solid evidence. Due to widespread fear psychosis, the police found it difficult to acquire evidence.
After accumulating sufficient evidence, the main accused, Shri Laden Ch. Sangma alias Chenang, was apprehended on March 27, 2025. Sangma was a member of the GNLA's First Batch and received training in the Garo Hills' Durama hills.
Chenang was appointed Area Commander of the Northern Zone in 2012. Before joining the GNLA, Sangma sold A'chik swords, shields, and ornaments. He met Lt. Sohan D. Shira, the founder of GNLA and a former ANVC member, and they went underground, eventually forming GNLA under his supervision. Sangma and 15 others fled underground, led by Lt. Sohan D. Shira.
