Kidnapped Meghalaya policeman's body found

The body of a policeman kidnapped by a tribal Garo terrorist outfit more than a month back was recovered from a jungle area in Meghalaya's North Garo Hills district on Saturday, police said.

"We have recovered a highly decomposed body of Havildar Khomraj Bhattarai, who was kidnapped and killed by Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) terrorists, from a deep jungle near Rongdongre village in North Garo Hills district," Inspector General in-charge Operations G.H.P. Raju told IANS.

He said the dead body has been taken to Mendipathar hospital for autopsy.

Bhattarai and an unidentified trader were kidnapped by a group of heavily-armed GNLA terrorists from Rongdongre village on November 6.

The police officer said the villagers have also confirmed that the dead body recovered was of Bhattarai as on that day, GNLA area commander Rakban Shira was there along with other GNLA cadres Tengrak and Rabon.

"They shot Bhattarai and killed him in the presence of villagers after they found his photo identity card in his pocket," he said.

The GNLA, which was declared a terrorist outfit by the central government, is fighting for a separate "Garoland" in western Meghalaya.