Encounter on with militant outfit that murdered woman in Meghalaya

An encounter is currently underway between security forces in Meghalaya and militants of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), which is the same outfit held responsible for the  brutal murder of a woman after she resisted rape by five of its cadres. [caption id=“attachment_1557459” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] The current encounter is not a fallout of the woman’s murder but an attempt to nab the GNLA commander-in-chief, television reports said. 35-year-old Josbina Sangma was allegedly shot dead by the militants in front of her children. The brutality of the murder was such that the barrage of bullets from the AK-47 at point blank range had almost blown the head of the victim to pieces. “We came to know about the incident this morning only. It is really shocking. She was an innocent woman who was cruelly murdered. We are really concerned about this incident. We have condemned this gruesome incident. We appeal to the civil society, the NGOs and to everyone to protest against this inhuman crime. We have also urged the government to take immediate step against these perpetrators and establish the rule of law,” Meghalaya State Commission for Women, chairperson, Theilin Phanbuh told Firstpost from Shillong. In 2013, the state registered 343 incidents of crime against women and girls among which 183 were rape cases. This shows a disturbing trend of violence against women in Meghalaya which does not seem to be diminishing. From 26 rapes in 2001, Meghalaya has seen a spurt in crimes against women every year.