Fifth suspect arrested after cross-border stabbing in Meghalaya

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Shillong: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday arrested a fifth suspect after an armed gang from across the Bangladesh border stabbed a man, allegedly for trying to block their movement in Indian territory, in Meghalaya's South West Khasi Hills district on Friday night. The suspects have been caught from different locations — the first two from the vicinity of Khonjoy on the night of the attack. (Representative photo)
The August 9 attack took place in Khonjoy village (HT's initial report says Rongdongai village) under the Nongjri–Nonghyllam sector near the Bangladesh border. According to the South West Khasi Hills District (SWKH) police, a group of about nine Bangladeshi nationals — armed with weapons including a firearm — crossed into Indian territory illegally under the cover of darkness. The victim, Balsrang A. Marak, was assaulted and stabbed, possibly for trying to block their movement. The gang fled soon after but did not immediately return to Bangladesh.
BSF inspector general (Meghalaya frontier) O.P. Upadhaya said the latest arrest was made during ongoing combing operations in dense and difficult forest terrain along the Indo-Bangladesh border.
'The operation shows the great synergy between BSF, police and local public. Large numbers of BSF troops are engaged in combing operations in a very dense, difficult and vast forest area which is extremely treacherous. We are committed to the security of the border population,' he said, adding, 'The border may be long, but our vigilance must be longer. We are stepping up patrols, but communities remain the first barrier.'
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'The suspects have been caught from different locations — the first two from the vicinity of Khonjoy on the night of the attack, the third from Ranikor, the fourth from Mawpyllun, and the fifth from the border forests near Pyrdiwah today,' a police officer, requesting anonymity, said.
The security forces have seized pistols, machetes, handcuffs, Bangladeshi currency, wire cutters, masks, radio sets, mobile phones, cash, bags, clothes, and other personal belongings from the suspects, including an ID card of Marufur Rahman, allegedly a Bangladesh police officer.
'The armed intruders, suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals, attacked a villager with sharp weapons and fled towards the unfenced border,' South West Khasi Hills superintendent of police (SP) Banraplang Jyrwa said.
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'This was precision teamwork between forces and villagers. They didn't just alert us — they physically caught one of the armed men,' SP Jyrwa added.
A resident of Khonjoy said, 'Villagers remain fearful after the incident. We have always lived with the risk of cross-border crime. The government needs to take stronger steps.'
Chief minister Conrad K. Sangma, three days earlier, reiterated that around 40–45 km of Meghalaya's border with Bangladesh remains unfenced, making such intrusions possible.