3 Assam Men Killed In Meghalaya, Charred Bodies Buried In Unmarked Graves

The bodies of three men from Assam have been found in unmarked shallow graves in Meghalaya's East Garo Hills. The bodies were completely burnt and beyond recognition. The men were identified by the hired car they were travelling in, which was found nearby. The police said a preliminary inquiry indicated that the men were executed, their bodies set on fire to evade identification and then buried.

The bodies were found in Rongmil area, 15 km from Rongjeng in East Garo Hills. Two of the men were found in a single grave. The other, believed to be the driver of the vehicle, was in another grave. The police stumbled upon the graves while searching for the men whom their families had reported missing.

Police sources said the men -- Jamar Ali and Zahidul Islam and their driver Noor Ahmed from Assam's Goalpara's Dolguma -- had left home on Monday evening. They were to go to Meghalaya for work, they said. Around 6 am on Tuesday, they called their families.

The men had said they were having breakfast after entering East Garo Hills through the Damra-Dainadubi-Wageasi road to Rongmil. It was the last time they spoke. The phones were found to be switched off when they called later.  The families began to worry after they could not be contacted for over 24 hours and alerted the authorities.

The police started the search from the breakfast spot and finally located the Maruti Swift vehicle they were travelling in. The car was found deep inside a bamboo forest in Rongmil area, completely burnt. The graves were found nearby. After an on-the-spot postmortem, the bodies were handed to the families for last rites, the police said.

The murder, coming on the eve of polling, has sent shock waves across the region. The police, though, are suspecting that the men could have been killed by rivals. Zahidul Islam, 25, was involved in car lifting and Jamor Ali, 35, was involved in cattle rustling, the police said. Zahidul Islam also has a non-bailable warrant against him.