While NSCN led by Niki Sumi has taken a serious note of the incidents, Dimapur Ao Youth Organization warned that no criminally motivated actions would be tolerated.
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
Police have arrested three persons involved in the firing incidents with multiple gunshots in three different locations in Dimapur on October 27. The arrests were made within two hours of the last firing incident.
Updating the sequence of the incidents and leading to the subsequent arrest of the three accused along with a huge cache of arms and ammunitions, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime), and PRO, Dimapur police, Bharat Laxman Markad, said that on October 27, an information was received that some “unknown miscreants” fired at three locations-Nepali Basti, Residency
Colony, and Notun Bosti, Dimapur, between 1.25 am to 1.38 a.m, and based on a complaint, West PS/Case No.100/21 was lodged.
He also informed that another similar firing incident by “unknown miscreants” was reported from Landmark Colony, around 6.30 pm the same evening, where West PS/Case No.101/21 was registered.
During the course of the investigation, the team collected intelligence reports in the area and gathered inputs. After analyzing the input and obtaining the CCTV footage, corroborated by witnesses, the DCP (Crime) and PRO, Dimapur, said that a search operation was launched to catch the accused who were traveling on a Bolero vehicle.
Following a swift cordon and search operation, the suspects and the vehicle were located and the three accused were arrested after a hot pursuit.
The three accused were later identified as Cease Fire Supervisory Board (CFSB) Supervisor, Kilonser, NSCN (Niki), Nikato Pilot Sumi (31); NSCN (Niki) member Awang Konyak and and Wahkoi.
Meanwhile, arms and ammunition recovered from the three accused included — one HK 33 Rifle (5.56×45), HK 33 Rifle magazine (2), 7.65 Pistol (ITALY No.8536), 7.65mm magazine (1), 9mm magazine (1), HK 33 Rifle Live Round (117), 7.65 mm live round (17), HK 33 Empty Case (6), 7.65 mm Empty Case (2), Rifle Sling (1), Knife (1).
An amount of Rs.1,82,700 were also recovered from the accused and the Bolero SLX (White Colour) used while committing the crime was also seized.
NSCN led by Niki Sumi takes note
Meanwhile, NSCN led by Niki Sumi has taken serious note of its members’ involvement in the incident. The group stated that such incidents had caused “trauma and confusion” in the minds of the Naga people at a time when the entire Nagas were eagerly waiting for their long-cherished dream of bringing about a solution to the “Indo-Naga Conflict”.
The statement issued on Thursday by its Kilonser, Public Relations & NGOs, Z Swu, however, said that the group os making effort to unearth the circumstances that led to the incidents involving one
of its top functionaries.
While regretting the inconvenience caused to the residents by the incident, the NSCN (Niki) assured the Naga people that peace was “paramount” and would stamp its assertion towards efforts to achieve the aspirations of the Nagas through peaceful means.
DAYO condemns
Dimapur Ao Youth Organization (DAYO) has explicitly condemned the “unprovoked cowardly act of violence” on October 27 at Residency Colony, Dimapur, by some “anti-social elements”, forcefully entering the residence of an outstation serving Nagaland Police officer and harassing his innocent housewife, thereafter snatching her mobile phone and destroying it at “gunpoint” and later blank firing in a public place.
Stating that such dastardly act of violence and intimidation was totally unacceptable and has no place in civilized society at a time when the entire Naga society was yearning for peace, DAYO in a press statement issued jointly by its president Aotemsu Aier, and general secretary, S Pangertoshi, has appealed to the law enforcing agencies and other authorities of the state to deny granting of bail to the accused. DAYO said exemplary punishment should be given to the accused as a deterrent to the act of spreading fear psychosis among the people.
“Dimapur citizens cannot feel safe and protected when such act of violence can be committed even at the residence of a serving Nagaland police officer,” the DAYO statement maintained while also lauding the commendable manner in which the police reacted to the firing.
“The misuse of the provisions to carry arms by different cardholders in ceasefire agreement with the government of India by every splinter Naga political groups has led to more multiple taxations and is being used to blatantly terrorize the general public more than often,” the press statement also said.
DAYO also appealed to the Chairman, Ceasefire Monitoring Board and Ceasefire Supervisory Board (CMB&CSB) to rectify such defective clauses under the ceasefire ground rules for the greater interest of the general public.
DAYO further said it would continue to extend full co-operation with the concerned authorities and it reiterated that no criminally motivated actions would be tolerated.