Is HNLC leader ‘Sanbor Pala’ back again in the limelight?
Police today released a recording of a telephone conversation between the so-called military commander of HNLC Sanbor Pala and one of the main accused in the Ri-Bhoi IED recovery case.
However, the reemergence of Sanbor Pala in this case is interesting.
It may be recalled that the enquiry report of Justice T Vaiphei which was made public in May 2022 mentioned that slain HNLC general secretary Cheristerfield Thangkhiew operated his militant activities including IED explosions and extortions under the name of ‘Sanbor Pala’ before he was killed in a police encounter at his residence in Mawlai here.
According to the report, between 2020 and 2021, three IED explosions were carried out by the proscribed HNLC in East Jaiñtia Hills. These include an IED explosion on November 26, 2020 which took place at Soo Kilo market, IED explosion at Star Cement factory on February 12, 2020 at Lumshnong, and a failed explosion at Meghalaya Coke Factory at Bther on January 17, 2021.
According to the report, during the police investigations in the three IED explosions during the period between July and August 2021, there was also a spurt of extortion demand notes being served.
“In the course of investigation of these extortion, FIRs, an evidence was unearthed in early August 2021 that Thangkhiew was suspected to be operating under an alias name Sanbor Pala and was extorting money to fund militant activities of the HNLC in the form of IED explosions, etc,” the report said.
“Therefore, on August 7, 2021, it became clear for the first time to the SIT that the man behind all the IED blasts under investigation and all extortion demands is none other than Thangkhiew operating under the alias of Sanbor Pala using the same Bangladeshi phone number and that there was a strong possibility of Thangkhiew operating under the pseudonym of Sanbor Pala after coming overground by purportedly retiring from HNLC activities,” the report further said.
