Shillong: Garo militants brutally blew the head off a tribal woman, claiming her to be a police informer, after she resisted their attempts at molestation and rape in South Garo Hills district in Meghalaya.
A group of four to five militants of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) toting assault rifles entered the house of the 35-year-old woman at the remote Raja Rongat village at around 6 pm Tuesday, IGP (Operations), GHP Raju said Wednesday.
She was pulled out of her home, assaulted, molested and attempts were made to rape her. When she resisted, she was shot at point blank range splitting her head in two, he said.
The militants, before dragging the woman outside, locked up her husband and four children inside the house.
In New Delhi, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said, "I have spoken to the Chief Minister and have asked to identify the culprits and ensure that strict punishment is given to them."
He said P A Sangma-led National People`s Party has submitted a memorandum to him alleging that the law and order machinery in Meghalaya has completely failed and the central government should intervene.
"We are looking into it," he said.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma described it as "the most shameful act" and said it could not be expected of a militant organisation that claimed to be fighting for the people.
"I have apprised Union Minister of State for Home of the incident and the kind of support that the state government requires at this juncture," he said at Shillong.
"The police have identified those who were involved in the killing. They are members of the GNLA," he said.
State Home Minister Roshan Warjri was on her way to the village to inquire about the `inhumane behaviour` of the militants, the chief minister said.
The state government announced a compensation of Rs 1 lakh to the woman`s family.
The GNLA in a statement later denied that the woman was molested or raped and said that she was `executed` as she was a `police informer`.
The banned GNLA was declared a terror organisation by the Centre in January 2012 and was involved in several cases of murder, kidnapping and extortion in all three Garo Hills districts.
