Dimapur, April 14: The military affairs department of the Defence Ministry has denied prosecution sanction against all the 30 defence personnel accused in the killings of civilians at Oting.

“This was communicated to the Mon district and session judge court by the Nagaland police’s crime cell police station and the special investigation team (SIT) constituted by the state government to probe the killings,” DIG (CID) stated in a press release.

On December 5, 2021, an SIT of the Nagaland police was constituted by the home department (political branch).

Altogether, 13 civilians were killed in an operation by the security forces at Oting on December 5, 2021, and another person was killed the following day in subsequent violence in Mon.

The SIT after completion of the investigation on March 24, 2022, had sought sanction for prosecution from the military affairs department of the Defence Ministry against the accused persons of the security personnel involved in the incident, the release said.

It said as per procedure upon completion of the investigation, pending the receipt of sanction for prosecution, the chargesheet in the case was filed in the Mon district and session court against the accused persons on May 30, 2022.