Kohima, June 11:The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was set up by the Nagaland government to probe the killing of 14 people in December last year in Mon district, named 30 Army men including a Major, in its chargesheets, submitted to the district court, officials said on Saturday.
A senior Nagaland police official said that the SIT submitted its chargesheet to the District and Sessions Court in Mon district on May 30 through the additional public prosecutor and named 30 members of the operation team of 21 Para Security Force.
The 30 Para Security Force personnel include one Major, two Subedar, eight Havildar, four Nayek, six Lance Nayek and nine Paratroopers.
“A CID Report seeking sanction for prosecution is forwarded to the Department of Military Affairs in the first week of April (this year) and reminder letter sent in May. The sanction for prosecution is still awaited. Meanwhile, the chargesheet has been filed pending sanction for prosecution against the 30 accused.
In the CID Report, the SIT has also made various observations with regard to the manner in which the Operation was carried out and pointed out the need to address those issues and requested the appropriate authority for taking necessary action,” an official statement of the Nagaland police said.
It said that investigation has revealed that Alpha team of 21 Para Security Force consisting of 31 personnel led by a Major rank officer launched an operation in Oting-Tiru Area on December 3, 2021, based on the intelligence input about presence of a group of militants belonging to NSCN K-YA and ULFA.
On December 4, 2021, at around 4.20 p.m., the operation team of 21 Para Security Force who had laid an ambush at Longkhao between Upper Tiru and Oting village and opened fire at a white Bolero pick up vehicle which was carrying eight civilians belonging to Oting village, most of whom were working as labourers in a coal mine at Tiru without ensuring positive identification and failing to carry out challenging procedure.
The statement said that the investigation has also revealed that the operation team had not followed the Standard Operating Procedure and the Rules of Engagement and resorted to indiscriminate and disproportionate firing leading to immediate killing of the six occupants of the vehicle on the spot and grievously injuring two persons.
When the villagers of Oting and Tiru reached the incident spot in search of the missing villagers and the bolero pick up vehicle, they turned violent on discovering the dead bodies and scuffle ensued between the villagers and the security personnel.
“One paratrooper succumbed to injuries and 14 personnel from the operation team sustained injuries, as a result of the scuffle. This led the Major to order for opening fire, killing seven more villagers.”
The Nagaland police official said that the 22-member SIT under the overall supervision of Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, Sandeep M. Tamgadge, in its chargesheets incorporated various evidences including relevant important documents from various authorities and sources, scientific opinions from CFSL Guwahati, Hyderabad and Chandigarh and technical evidences from NIELIT.
At least 13 people were killed on December 4 last year and another villager was killed and more than 20 injured the next day in the subsequent violence in the Mon district.
Almost all Naga organisations including Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation, All Naga Students’ Association, United Naga Council have organised a series of agitations against the killing of 14 people and injuring over 20 others.
All political parties, Naga organisations and the Nagaland government have been demanding repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) and demanded the government to make the SIT’s report public.
