Nagaland killings: 30 soldiers chargesheeted
June 11, 2022 19:10
Nagaland Police has charge sheeted at least 30 members of the 21 Para Special Force including an officer in the rank of a major, in the December 4, 2021 botched army operations in Oting-Tiru area of Mon district killing at least 13 civilians.
The probe which preceded the charge sheet has found that the Special Force 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 six civilians and grievous injury to two more.
Addressing a press conference at Chumoukedima Police Complex on Saturday, Director General of Police, Nagaland, T John Longkumer said that the Tizit Police Station case relating to the Oting incident where 13 civilians were killed in an ambush laid for militants as a result of mistaken identity on December 4, 2021.
The case was re-registered by State Crime Police Station on December 5 against unknown persons of the Indian Army u/s 302, 304 and 34 IPC and investigation handed over to a Special Investigation Team (SIT).
"A professional and thorough investigation was carried out by the SIT" in this case, he said adding that various evidences including relevant important documents from various authorities and sources, scientific opinions from Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) Guwahati, Hyderabad and Chandigarh and technical evidences from National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology were collected during the course of investigation, he said.
The DGP said the probe was complete and the charge sheet was submitted to the District and Sessions Court, Mon on May 30, 2022 through Assistant Public Prosecutor, Mon.
A case under various sections of the IPC has been made out against thirty 30 members of the operations team of 21 Para Special Force including a Major, two Subedar, eight Havildars, four Naik, six lance naik and nine paratroopers, he said.
Accordingly, the DGP said that the CID report seeking sanction for prosecution was 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, he said.
Meanwhile, the charge-sheet has been filed pending sanction for prosecution against the 30 accused, he said.
Investigation has revealed that Alpha team of 21 Para Special 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 National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) (Yung Aung) (NSCN-K(YA) and United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadres in the area, he said.
On December 4, 2021 at around 4:20 pm the operation team of 21 Para Special Force who had laid an ambush at Longkhao between Upper Tiru and Oting Village 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 the coal mines at Tiru without ensuring positive identification or challenging them, he said.
Investigation has revealed that the Special Force 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 2 persons, he said. -- PTI
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