Tura, May 22: Three bodies of local villagers from West Garo Hills have been recovered by police in what is suspected to be cold blooded murder by suspected cattle smugglers and a homicide investigation has begun. One of the victims was a woman.
The entire issue came to light on the intervening night of 17th and 18th May when Dalu police received a call from the hospital at 2 AM in which the medical doctor on duty alerted them about a villager with grievous injury marks brought dead to the hospital.
The victim was from Adanggre village.
On enquiry it was revealed that four villagers were proceeding to Matchokpara village in an auto rickshaw at around midnight when they spotted two maxi pick up vehicles carrying cattle that fled away as their auto rickshaw approached.
On checking the place, they noticed two cattle standing in the jungle near the road. When they went into the jungle to bring the cattle onto the road they were attacked by a group of suspected Bangladeshi nationals who were hiding in the jungle.
Ambarth Marak of Adanggre village, who had come out of the auto and had entered the jungle to retrieve the cattle, was attacked with sharp weapons by the miscreants. He was rushed to Dalu CHC hospital but died on the way.
Police teams were dispatched to the site where the attack took place and a search of the area led to the shocking discovery of two more bodies- that of a man and a woman lying in a nearby plantation.
Police also found clothes, almost a dozen slippers, kitchen set, bangles, a dagger and iron rods from the crime scene.
It is strongly suspected that the trio became unsuspecting victims who came in the way of the cattle smugglers who were attempting to smuggle the animals out to Bangladesh where there is a lucrative price for beef.
