Nagaland frames charges against 30 soldiers over killing of civilians
Dimapur, June 12 (KMS): The Nagaland Police have chargesheeted at least 30 Indian Army’s Para Special Force, including a Major involved in killing of over a dozen civilians in an operation in Mon district of Indian disturbed state Nagaland.
At least 30 Indian Army forces personnel of the 21 Para Special Force, including a Major, killed over 13 civilians during botched Army operations in December 2021 in Oting-Tiru area of Mon district of the state.
The chargesheet has slapped charges of murder and culpable homicide not amounting to murder on the team of soldiers.
The probe which preceded the chargesheet has found that the Special Force Operation team had not followed the Standard Operating Procedure and Rules of Engagement and had resorted to indiscriminate and disproportionate firing leading to immediate death of six civilians and grievous injury to two more.
Addressing a press conference at Chumukedima Police Complex, Nagaland Director-General of Police (DGP) T John Longkumer said the Tizit Police Station case related to the Oting incident where civilians were killed in an ambush laid by Indian Army as a result of mistaken identity on December 4, 2021.
The case was re-registered by the State Crime Police Station on December 5 against unknown persons of the Indian Army under Sections 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.
The DGP said the probe was complete and the chargesheet was submitted to the District and Sessions Court, Mon, on May 30, 2022, through the Assistant Public Prosecutor.
A case under various Sections made out against thirty Indian army personnel of the operations team of 21 Para Special Force, including a Major, two Subedar, eight Havildars, four Naiks, six lance naiks and nine paratroopers, he said.
Accordingly, the DGP said the CID report seeking sanction for prosecution was forwarded to the Department of Military Affairs in the first week of April this year and a reminder sent in May.The sanction for prosecution is still awaited, he said.
The probe said that Indian troops including Major didn’t follow SOPs and rules of engagement and involved in indiscriminate firing, which led to killing of 13 civilians
Meanwhile, the chargesheet has been filed, pending sanction for prosecution against the 30 accused, the DGP said.
The civil societies demanded the removal of black law Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Nagaland.
You must be logged in to post a comment.