Stories that Matter

Coal export to neighbouring Bangladesh is a lucrative business in Meghalaya and it is badly impacted by instances of extortion and kidnapping by suspected militants groups. Government officials, businessmen, doctors, and influential politicians etc are targeted for this purpose. It was reported that since 2000, nine custom inspectors were kidnapped from Gasuapara, a coal export point in South Garo Hills and later released. Most of the cases of kidnapping for extortion are carried out by suspected militants. Former Meghalaya police official-turned-politician Akhil Hajong, kidnapped for a ransom of Rs.20 lakh by GNLA, was freed unharmed in April, 2011 at Ruga Bazar in South Garo Hills. Family of Fulera Bewa The latest figure in the list of the fatalities of civilians is the killing of five coal labourers on April 6, 2011 at Goka, near Baghmara of South Garo Hills, about 475 kms away from Shillong. The five labourers namely Ram Badan Yadav, Zakir Ahmed, Muhammed Noor, Muhammed Habil and...

Rejection of clemency petition provokes debate on death penalty in Assam Submitted by  admin3  on 10 June 2011 - 3:05pm Articles   India News   Indian Muslim By Anjuman Ara Begum, TwoCircles.net, The death penalty awarded to Mahendra Nath Das has provoked a debate over death penalty in Assam. In India death penalty is executed through only one method, that is, by hanging to death. According to media sources, the last hangings in Assam took place in Jorhat Central Jail in 1989 and 1990. On November 20, 1989, Henry W. Robert of Sivasagar, who was convicted of kidnapping and murdering a young boy in Tinsukia, was hanged. This was followed by the hanging of Kanpai Buragohain of Dhemaji district convicted of multiple murders, on July 27, 1990. The incident It was a clear morning when Harakanta Das was having tea along with some friends at a tea stall in Fancy Bazaar area of Guwahati on April 24, 1996, little knowing that it was his last cup of tea. Harakanta Das was t...