Kokrajhar, Sept. 22: An NDFB (Songbijit) rebel - Rajib Basumatary alias Mirgang alias Merbang alias Mergom - who escaped from police custody in July, was killed in an operation by security forces in the Labanyapur area of Kokrajhar district today.

According to the police, a search operation was launched in the area based on a tip-off and subsequently an encounter took place and Basumatary was killed.

Police sources said Basumatary was a senior NDFB (S) cadre and an undertrial, who had escaped from police custody on July 13 at Choibari tea garden on the way to Kokrajhar district jail from the NIA court in Guwahati.

Basumatary, along with three NIA undertrials, were returning to Kokrajhar jail from Guwahati when two of them sprayed an analgesic on the eyes of the escort party after they reached Choibari tea garden and tried to escape. Another undertrial, Swmla Basumatary, was shot by the escort team while Basumatary fled into the tea bushes and the adjoining forest. The other two undertrials, Sanjoy Narzary and Lebao Basumatary, were handcuffed and could not escape.

A .22mm pistol, three live rounds of .22 ammunition, two 36HE grenades, and six cases of 7.62mm pistol ammunition were found on Basumatary today.

In a separate operation, an NDFB (S) linkman, Bindo Muchahary, was arrested from Madya Bashbari under Karigaon police station here.

He was active in collecting extortion money on behalf of the NDFB (S).

One mobile phone and fake identity documents were recovered from him. Muchahary used to be in contact with cadres based in Myanmar and in the northern jungles of Kokrajhar.

He confessed that he had been working as a linkman for the group.