Inspector General of Police (Operations) G H P Raju told PTI that the mother of the victim, her husband and the four children were evacuated from Raja Rongat village, 450 km from here, fearing attacks on them by militants of the banned Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA).
"Intelligence inputs received indicate that the outfit's C-in-C Sohan D Shira had asked cadres to take a videograph statement and the family members were scared that they could face the same fate," a senior police official said.
Meanwhile, husband of the woman said she was not killed for resisting molestation and rape as stated by the police, while the FIR also did not mention it.
The Garo militants came looking for the woman at a tea shop run by the family, husband Abel Sangma told reporters at the village yesterday.
"As my wife was with the children, these men went looking for her. I heard them asking why she provided information to the police which she denied. Before I could react, they pulled her out of the house and shot her at point blank range and fled," he said.