In a significant breakthrough, the North Garo Hills Police have arrested former GNLA (Garo National Liberation Army) Area Commander Laden Ch. Sangma alias Chenang, the prime accused in the brutal murder of a school teacher in 2012.
After evading law enforcement for over a decade, Sangma was apprehended in Baghmara, South Garo Hills, on March 27, 2025.
The case traces back to the night of July 19, 2012, when a group of five armed GNLA militants, allegedly led by Sangma, stormed the house of Lt. Denybirth Momin in Resu Mepan Abri village. Momin, a renowned Science and Mathematics teacher at Resubelpara Higher Secondary School, was dragged outside and shot dead in front of his wife and relatives. The militants accused him of being a police informer, a charge that was never proven.
At the crime scene, police recovered “four empty cases of AK ammunition, two empty cases of 9mm ammunition, and one letter on GNLA letterhead signed by the GNLA Area Commander, claiming responsibility for the killing.”
Despite a case being registered at Mendipathar Police Station, the investigation stalled due to a lack of witnesses willing to come forward, primarily out of fear of the militant group. Years of persistent efforts, however, led to crucial evidence that enabled authorities to track down and arrest Sangma.
During interrogation, North Garo Hills Superintendent of Police Swapnil Vasantrao Pawar said, Sangma disclosed that he “belonged to the first batch of GNLA and was trained in the Durama Hills of Garo Hills. Eventually, in the year 2012, he became the Area Commander of the Northern Zone.”
” Before joining the militant outfit, he was involved in selling “A’chik swords (Millam), A’chik shields (Sepi), and A’chik wearing ornaments, traveling to various villages in Garo Hills for trade. His encounters with GNLA founder and former ANVC member, late Sohan D. Shira, eventually led him to join the insurgent group,” the SP said .
“With the idea of Lt. Sohan D. Shira, Laden Ch. Sangma and 15 others went underground, which eventually became GNLA,” Pawar added.
Sangma’s arrest marks a major success for law enforcement and a long-overdue moment of justice for the family of Denybirth Momin. Authorities believe his capture may lead to valuable intelligence on the remnants of GNLA and other unresolved cases. The police reaffirm their commitment to ensuring that justice prevails, no matter how long it takes.