Nagaland Police rejects army’s claim of credible intelligence behind Oting firing, says troops fired without establishing facts

KOHIMA:

Nagaland director general of police (DGP) John Longkumar and commissioner Rovilauo Mor, in their ground report on Oting incident filed before the state government on December 6, said that “Troops of 21 Assam Rifles indiscriminately fired on the coal miners at random, apparently without any attempt for identification.” 

The DGP and Commissioner, who have been camping in Mon since December 6, in the detailed report, divulged details of the December 4 Oting firing incident, and the subsequent violent clashes following the ambush in Nagaland’s Mon town on December 6.

The report informed that the incident occurred around 4:10 pm on Saturday (December 4) where eight coal miners returning home in a Mahindra Pickup truck were ambushed.

“They were ambushed and killed by security forces (reportedly, 21 Para Special Force based in Assam) at random, apparently without any attempt for identification,” the report stated.

According to the report, the ones killed were unarmed civilians working at a coal mine in Tiru valley, who were travelling in an open Mahindra Pickup truck, but were fired upon and six of them were killed on the spot and two critically injured.

The villagers on hearing the gunshots went to the spot with apprehension as the individuals did not return home from work, the report revealed.

“When the villagers reached the spot, the security personnel were trying to hide the bodies of the six villagers by wrapping and loading them in a Tata Mobile truck apparently with the intention of taking the bodies to their base camp,” the report stated further.

“On finding the bodies in the Tata Mobile, under a tarpaulin, violence broke out between the villagers and the security personnel,” as a result, the irate villagers burnt three vehicles belonging to the security personnel, and in the melee, the troops again opened fire on the villagers which led to the death of seven more villagers, it said.

The report also mentioned, “Eyewitnesses have confirmed that the security forces opened fire indiscriminately as they fled from the scene towards Assam side.”

On the secured crime site, there are presently one Mahindra pickup in which the civilians were ambushed; one burnt Scorpio; a burnt Bolero; a burnt Tata Winger; and a damaged Tata Mobile, according to the findings.

The report further informed that 13 civilians were killed on December 4 while 14 were seriously injured. Eight civilians suffered minor injuries.

Meanwhile, the Army in a statement issued from Delhi on December 6 claimed that the security forces had planned the ‘specific operation' based on ‘credible intelligence about the likely movement of insurgents in the area

Situation volatile in Mon

The report stated that the situation in Mon is still tense and volatile, even as the state government has constituted a five member SIT team to probe the December 4 civilian killings.

Meanwhile, in order to control the situation in Mon town, prohibitory order under Section 144 of CrPC has been clamped amid the disturbance, stated the report from the officials.

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