Newspaper report of July 21, 2022, point out {that a} bench of the Supreme Courtroom has stayed proceedings on a Nagaland Police FIR in opposition to a Main and 29 members of 21 Para (Special Forces) that allegedly opened hearth on a truck in Mon district, mistaking its occupants for insurgents, ensuing within the loss of life of 13 civilians on December 4, 2021. The SC ruling has come on the petition filed by the spouse of the Main and members of the family of the Special Forces group concerned within the incident.
In its ruling, the Supreme Courtroom bench mentioned, “In view of the admitted place that obligatory earlier sanction as required below Part 6 of the Armed Forces (Particular Powers) Act, 1958, has not been obtained, we’re constrained to cross an interim order staying additional proceedings pursuant to FIR No. 27 of 2021/Last Report of the Particular Investigation Crew/Cost sheet.”
The above media report creates the impression that 13 civilians travelling in a automobile had been gunned down by the Special Forces group, which isn’t true. There was intensive media protection for the reason that incident occurred final yr. Readers can purse the sequence of occasion on December 4-5, 2021, together with different essential related points together with the police-administration-insurgent nexus for narcotics smuggling, extortion and the like, at the hyperlink (https://news4masses.com/nagaland-civilian-killings-the-subterfuge/).
The next are reiterated:
· The Special Forces group laid the ambush on particular inputs from a number of sources together with from the native Nagaland Police.
· The automobile when requested to cease jumped the ambush, which was then fired upon killing six of the eight occupants.
· The Special Forces group was within the technique of evacuating the 2 injured civilians when a mob of armed villagers from Oting Village attacked them, shot one Special Forces commando and slashed his neck, killing him on the spot. 14 Special Forces commandos together with an officer sustained wounds within the mob assault.
· The Special Forces group was pressured to open hearth in self-defence and transfer out evacuating the injured civilians. Within the course of, seven mobsters died though the SF had sufficient ammunition to kill the whole armed mob.
· The place the annual unlawful income assortment in Nagaland is greater than Rs 10,000 crore, the narcotics smuggling would fetch many instances extra.
Readers might not know that T John Longkumer, DG Police Nagaland is of Chhattisgarh cadre, Chhattisgarh being a state the place often 45 battalions of CAPF/Police are deployed (equal of about 4.5-5 Infantry Divisions), which go up to125 CAPF/Polce battalions throughout elections. But, CAPF/Police (all below DGP Chhattisgarh) patrols get periodically ambushed by Maoists as a result of apart from different causes, info is handed on to insurgents who assist politicians get elected. Apart from, the unlawful timber commerce and unlawful sand mining has apparent involvement of the police. Apparently, one Member Parliament from Chhattisgarh had mentioned in 2010 that the then DGP Chhattisgarh was paying safety cash to Maoists for his personal security.
Nagaland is a bonanza for Longkumer with unlawful income assortment and narcotics operating into 1000’s of crores of rupees yearly. Similar applies to the politicians and bureaucrats of Nagaland who’re hand in glove with the insurgents. No politician has ever been focused by militants in Nagaland although studying from the techniques of Farooq Abdullah in J&Ok, SC Jamir when the chief minister had orchestrated an IED assault on a automobile of his convoy.
For a similar purpose, no motion has been taken in opposition to the Commissioner Rovilatuo Mor, IAS and Longkurmer for not clamping Part 144 in Mon city to forestall the assault on the 27 Assam Rifles firm publish on December 5; a deliberate default? Furthermore, the FIR in opposition to the 500-600-strong armed mob which attacked and burned the 27 Assam Rifles publish on December 5, is in opposition to “unnamed individuals”, whereas police watching the enjoyable as bystanders would have simply acknowledged the leaders if not many of the mobsters. It could not be shocking if Longkurmer held a gathering with the mob leaders, briefing them how they need to assault the Assam Rifles in Mon city subsequent day. As to the Nagaland Police/SIT investigation, plenty of vital points should be taken into consideration.
First, 21 Para (SF) personnel had been repeatedly requested to simply accept that killing of civilians by them was “revenge” for the ambush by insurgents in November 2021 in Manipur’s Churachandpur district that took the lives of seven together with a Colonel commanding an AR battalion, his spouse and eight-year outdated son. Did these idiots suppose that Assam Rifles is incapable of extracting revenge or do they suppose Assam Rifles is as gutless because the Nagaland Police?
Quite the opposite, it’s fairly doable that given the underhand hyperlinks of rebel teams, Nagaland Police is extracting revenge from 21 Para (SF) as a result of it was the identical unit which in 2015 had hit rebel camps inside Myanmar as a part of Operation ‘Scorching Pursuit’.
Second, the accusation that the ambush was within the mistaken place and occupants of the automobile that jumped the ambush had been unarmed, are blatant lies. The ambush was laid on the junction of the 2 tracks, one in use and the opposite disused, resulting in a bridge, so the query of mistaken web site doesn’t come up. Apart from, the occupants of the automobile had been very a lot armed.
Third, anybody who has operated in Nagaland would know that gentle is fading at 4 within the night however the Nagaland Police/SIT recreated the incident on the web site at 1030 within the morning to indicate that it was broad daylight to see the occupants within the automobile that jumped the ambush and was fired upon may very well be simply recognized as miners.
Fourth, the mine in query is the Tiru Coal Mine which had been declared unlawful by the Supreme Courtroom following a petition by the Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal. However regardless of the Supreme Courtroom directive, unlawful mining has been persevering with in full data of the Nagaland Police and the administration, which quantities to Contempt of the Supreme Courtroom. The contractors proceed every day operation of the mine with younger unemployed boys from Oting Village employed as every day wagers. Clearly the police and the administration are taking gratification from the contractors. .
Fifth, On November 27, 2021, the Naga Khaplang Group visited Tiru Coal Mine and extorted cash from the Contractors. Additionally, on December 1, 2021, three armed insurgents got here to the bridge (near the ambush web site) and took pictures. Each these incidents are recognized to Nagaland Police however weren’t disclosed.
Sixth, the 21 Para (Special Forces) group was on bonafide obligation deployed below AFSPA, Be aware 6 of which reads: Safety to individuals performing below Act – No prosecution, go well with or different authorized proceedings shall be instituted, besides with the earlier sanction of the Central Authorities, in opposition to any individual in respect of something carried out on presupposed to be carried out in train of the powers conferred by this Act.
Seventh, the Nagaland Mafia, together with the insurgents with their Chinese language benefactors, has been overreacting to the Indian Army in related vogue since 1956. If suspicious males or girls are interrogated, the Nagaland Police allege unwell therapy or rape.
Eighth, in public, if a policeman asks somebody to cease and the person runs away, she or he turns into a suspect. Within the on the spot case, the automobile requested to cease, sped away.
Ninth, the AFSPA supplies for arresting and even capturing down a suspect. If guidelines of AFSPA are flouted they are going to be addressed by the Army. Native Police haven’t any function on this.
Lastly, the Supreme Courtroom keep is interim, which if lifted will besmirch the elite Special Forces of India. Mockingly, we have now come to a stage the place unlawful money-making aside, vote-banks take desire over every little thing else. With subsequent Nagaland Legislative Meeting election scheduled to be held by March 2023, Nagaland will exert utmost strain to acquire the Centre’s permission to prosecute these Special Forces personnel and search lifting of the interim keep by the Supreme Courtroom. Will probably be a perversity of justice if sacrificing Special Forces on altar of the Nagaland Mafia is allowed.
Lt Gen Katoch (Retd) is famend particular forces officer with an unparalleled service document. He has been a prolific author along with his articles revealed in main Defence magazines like FORCE & Fauji India.
(Views expressed are the writer’s personal and don’t replicate the editorial stance of Mission Victory India)
For extra defence associated content material, observe us on Twitter: @MVictoryIndia and Fb: @MissionVictoryIndia
