TURA, Oct 17 � The new Meghalaya Director General of Police N Ramachandran has said that his force would aggressively pursue the militants who according to him do not have any public support.
The new police chief, who served in Assam for many years, revealed that Garo villagers are being forced to help the militants under threat.
�I met many people in last four days of my visit to Garo Hills and the general perception is against the militants. Villagers at one place even wanted us to re-deploy our armed picket to prevent militants from coming to their area,� said Ramachandran.
The police chief has warned that there is no room for being soft on any militant group, be it the GNLA, ULFA-NDFB or other criminal groups and his force will aggressively pursue every law breaker.
�There will be zero tolerance for law breakers,� said Ramachandran.
He visited the insurgency-hit areas of remote Chokpot in South Garo Hills, Williamnagar in East Garo Hills and also toured the border belt from Dalu to Mahendraganj border town including Purakhasia.
One of the challenges for the Meghalaya police is apparently the poor road communication network which bogs down the movement of forces during anti-insurgency operations.
Another cause of concern was shortage of manpower and the living condition provided for the force personnel and their families. The DGP said that an average policeman is working nothing short of 15 hours a day despite getting the lowest pay structure.
�I am going to give top most priority to uplifting the living condition of my officers and men in the State,� announced the new DGP while adding that the increase in strength of police force in all outposts and stations is being mooted at the earliest.
The DGP said that the founder of the GNLA outfit and former DSP Champion R Sangma along with other militant leaders and a self-styled godman from Mankachar who is a prime suspect in a human sacrifice case in Tura would be hounded out from their hiding.
The Meghalaya DGP stated that the State would confiscate any property and freeze bank assets of militant leaders who are living at the expense of the common man.
On the issue of the controversial Tantrik who went missing shortly after the death of young Krishna Singh in a human sacrifice, Ramachandran asserted that the police will not go soft on the case.
�I have spoken to my colleagues from Assam police on the need to arrest the tantrik. He is presently missing but we will attach his property as per law,� said the DGP.
