Nagaland’s SIT to question Army men involved in Dec 4 attack

Nagaland’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) has got the Army’s permission to record statements of its personnel involved in the December 4 botched attack in Mon district in which 14 civilians lost their lives.

The Centre had argued that the incident was a result of ‘mistaken identity’ as the Army had received information on the movement of extremists in Oting. The special investigation team constituted recently by the Union government is expected to complete its probe in a month’s time.

Meanwhile, the Centre is contemplating lifting the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in Nagaland to bring some normalcy in the troubled state, which has been on the boil since the incident.

Also read: Can Nagaland-like ‘ambush blunder’ happen elsewhere in India?

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently and said a high-level committee, headed by a secretary-rank officer, will examine the possibility of lifting AFSPA in Nagaland.

The Army’s probe team was scheduled to visit the incident site on Wednesday (December 29).

Two weeks back, the Nagaland assembly unanimously resolved to demand a repeal of AFSPA from the Northeast.

The December ambush happened between Oting and Tiru villages when a group of daily-wage labourers were returning home in a pick-up van from a coal mine. The vehicle was allegedly fired upon by Army personnel, who were conducting an operation in the area after receiving inputs on the movement of militants of Yung Aung faction of proscribed outfit NSCN (K).