Shillong: A former area commander of Meghalaya’s insurgent group, Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) Northern Zone, has been arrested for the 2012 murder of a school teacher.
Denybirth Momin, a science and mathematics teacher at Resubelpara Higher Secondary School, was brutally murdered outside his Resu Mepan Abri village home on July 19, 2012, by GNLA leader Laden Ch. Sangma alias Chenang.
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A group of armed GNLA militants, led by Sangma, carried out the killing in front of Momin’s wife and relatives, accusing him of being a police informer.
Police recovered four empty AK ammunition casings, two empty 9mm casings, and a GNLA letter claiming responsibility from the crime scene. A case was registered at Mendipathar Police Station in North Garo Hills.
The investigation, initially hampered by witness fear and a lack of evidence, remained stalled for years. However, authorities persisted and eventually gathered sufficient evidence to apprehend Sangma. He was arrested in Baghmara on March 27, 2025, by a North Garo Hills police team.
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Interrogation revealed that Sangma was among the first recruits of the GNLA, receiving training in the Durama Hills. By 2012, he had risen to the rank of Area Commander of the Northern Zone.
Prior to joining the GNLA, Sangma traded traditional A’chik swords (Millam), shields (Sepi), and ornaments, traveling across the Garo Hills.
He became acquainted with Sohan D. Shira, the GNLA founder and former ANVC member, at Nengmandalgre, which ultimately led to his recruitment into the militant group.