Jackson Ronghang (27), the self-styled chairman of the newly floated insurgent outfit Karbi Democratic Liberation Front (KDLF), was killed in an encounter with the police in the Rongmongve area of Assam’s Karbi Anglong district on Friday.
Jackson was allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a construction worker from the site of an under-construction bridge near Rongmongve on December 10.
Karbi Anglong police had identified Jackson Ronghang and two others involved with the kidnapping and a massive rescue operation was on to trace the hostage.
After much deliberation and effort, the Karbi Anglong Police managed to rescue the construction worker on December 13 but Jackson Ronghang gave police a slip.
Following the incident, the Karbi Anglong police who were in hot pursuit of Jackson Ronghang developed intel about his presence in a forested area of Rongmomgve in the wee hours of Friday and a search operation was launched in the area.
During the operation, a fierce gunfight broke out between the police and the KDLF militants took place.
In the ensuing gunfight, Ronghang was shot while others managed to escape under the cover of thick fog. Ronghang was later taken to a nearby hospital, where the attending doctor declared him brought dead.
Police have recovered a pistol, ammunition and several incriminating documents from possession of the slain militant.
This lesser-known militant outfit- KDLF was formed by Jackson Ronghang earlier this year with a handful of cadres and was involved in a series of extortion cases in the area.
“Jackson tried to cash in the vacuum created after all six insurgent outfits from the two hill districts of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao laid down arms and entered into peace talks with the government,” a police officer said.