Crime, corruption, outrage and system collapse marks Wednesday

EMN

Dimapur, February 25

Wednesday for Nagaland was another day marked by another spate of crime and disorder: Chicken sellers in Dimapur peddling chicken meat that had been injected with water to make the meat heavier, the assault of a police officer in Peren by drunken youths, outrage at the latest case of corruption in the already-tainted School Education department, and a growing number of young vehicle thieves, and so on.

The growing turbulence in the state’s administrative and police organisms, coupled by increasing cases of high-profile corruption in the state departments may be perceived as the emerging consequences of decades’ worth of policy failure.

School Edu’s loot of Rs. 12+ crore: prosecution of officials sought

Three organizations representing personnel working under the department of disgraced department, the School Education department have demanded swift investigations and prosecution against officials for embezzling Rs. 12.79 crores – funds meant for children with disabilities.

A startling allegation has been leveled by the workers of the department: a doctor who was absorbed in the School Education department in spite of protests by departmental workers in 2010 had embezzled the funds. Ironically, the accused doctor was from none other than the said project in question from which then officials misused the colossal amount.

On February 25, the Nagaland School Education Administrative Officers’ Association (NSEAOA), Nagaland Secondary School Field Officers’ Forum (NSSFOF), and the All Nagaland School Teachers’ Association (ANSTA) issued a joint statement.

The three organization censured officials of the School Education department for embezzling Rs. 12,79,50,000 under the IEDSS–a project meant for disabled school children of the state. The press release recalled that a nodal officer of the IEDSS project (a doctor by profession) came to the department on deputation from the Medical department and had requested ‘absorption in the department.’ The teachers’ association had objected, joined by the NSEAOA and ANSTA in 2010, the three organizations stated.

“However, the then Commissioner & Secretary of School Education left no stone unturned for his absorption in the department for which the concern doctor was absorbed on 7-2-2011 w.e.f 18-1-2011. Today he has become a liability to the department by way of looting fund for the disabled school children and thereby bringing shame to the entire family of the department,” the organizations stated.

The three groups have asked the Special Investigating Team to investigate ‘judiciously’ and unearth the “entire records and persons involved without fear and favor so that it becomes a deterrent for the upcoming officers in the department.”

Jalukie’s police officer in-charge assaulted                                        

A police officer in Jalukie under Peren has been hospitalized after drunken youths stoned him on the evening of February 22. The second OC of Jalukie police station, Neizeo Angami, is in the hospital after drunken youths blocking a road threw a stone at his head.

An angry Tenyimi Union of Jalukie issued a statement on Wednesday demanding capture of the culprits and initiating strong action against them for the crime. Calling the assault ‘uncivilized’ and ‘barbaric’ the union said that the police officer was returning home after duty at around 7:30 PM when he came across some drunken youths blocking the road in New Jalukie.

“…when the police officer told those youths that it is not right to block the highway in such a manner, he was stoned on his head by one of the youth from behind that led OC unconscious on the spot. The OC has been taken to referral hospital for treatment; his condition is yet to be certifying as save,” the union explained in the press release.

While wishing the injured officer speedy recovery, the union has demanded capture of the antisocial youths for punishment. The union also lamented that if the public behaved the way the youths did, “how can our area can prevailed peaceful atmosphere.”

The authorities are asked to punish the culprits and “control the unruly willful hot-blooded youths of their area.”

Crime: Vehicle lifters, molesters among Police’s Wednesday catch

The past week has been seeing police authorities in Kohima and Dimapur reporting various crimes almost every day. On Wednesday, February 25, police arrested a man on charges of having fake vehicle registration plates and certificates, while another person was arrested for molesting a lady.

On Wednesday, at around 3:00 AM a Tata pick-up truck was intercepted at Phesama check-gate by Kohima police. The vehicle had two different registration numbers (NL-01L/6381 and AS-01/FC/3286). On verification, the first registration number was found to have been allotted to a truck and the smart card (certificate of registration) of the NL-01L/6381 was ascertained to be bogus.

The driver of the vehicle, one Alaudin Khan, 26 years, of Ratipul village in Assam has been arrested in this connection.

In another case, police have arrested a man identified as one Dilip Kumar Pandey, 30 years, of Kahalipara village in Assam on charges of molesting a Naga lady in a city bus in Kohima.

A Naga lady had lodged a complaint with the police stating that she was molested while travelling in a city bus.“During the journey the male co-passenger intentionally molested her,” police said on Wednesday. The police arrested the accused from the Old NST area in Kohima town.

Youths in crime: Minors arrested for stealing bikes

Police in Kohima and Dimapur have been reporting for the past several weeks what appear to be an increased number of crimes by youths, mostly in the age group 18-30 years. This time local community organizations of Chekiye village have handed over four preteens and teenagers aged 15-18 years on charges of stealing two motor-bikes.

On February 24, Chekiye Village Council and Chekiye Students’ Union caught four persons and recovered two stolen motorcycles, a Bajaj Pulsar and a TVS, from their possession at Chekiye village in Dimapur.

The persons accused of theft have been identified as one Inato Chishi, son of a Sukhato Chishi, Aloka Awomi, son of a Shikavi Awomi, Russidul Khan, son of a “Sanjay” and Ikhuvi, son of one late Amirito all from Chekiye village in Dimapur. The four were handed over to the police, authorities informed on Wednesday. The recovered motorcycles were handed over to the rightful owners by the village council. The accused are in the custody of Diphupar police.

During Investigation, two of the accused Russudul, and Ikhuvi, were released and handed over to their respective family members after obtaining written statement from their guardians. However the other two accused are still in police custody.

Interestingly, police also found that two more motorcycles a TVS (NL01-E-2581) and a Bajaj Discover (NL07-J-5468) were also recovered in Thilixu village and Thahekhu village based on confessions by the arrested youth, police said.

Bomb attacks: Outraged civil society warns

Condemnations and warnings continue to pour in from the Naga civil society following the unprecedented string of bomb-related incidents in Nagaland. The Western Sumi Hoho and Western Sumi Kukami Hoho on Wednesday issued a statement condemning the “present scenario of bombing and attacks on our Naga legislators.”

“The Western Sumi Hoho and Western Sumi Kukami Hoho would not remain a silent spectator of the happenings around us, peace which was a hard earned shall not be robbed away from us by anyone. Everyone has the right to live a peaceful life but on the contrary the present situation of attacks and unlawful activities have made us live in fear in our own land and homes,” the two organizations stated in a joint statement.

The statement had a word for the armed Naga underground groups. The two organizations have cautioned “those groups, parties or NPGs with personal vested interest” that whoever they may be, to stay away from “the present crisis of our state legislative assembly” and not to endanger te lives of the innocent public.

 

“The worsening situation of our state coupled with the uncertainty of our state government is creating fear and confusion in the minds of the people of our state,” the western Sumi organizations stated. “The crisis or divisions amongst our state legislators, if any should be resolved at the earliest and provide a clear leadership and stability for the development of our state through the spirit of democracy.”

The western Sumi community has appealed to the “responsible and sensible” leaders to solve their differences to enable them to shoulder the responsibilities the people of Nagaland entrusted on them.

The Western Sumi Hoho and Western Sumi Kukami Hoho have also asked the church and civil society at large to “play a vigilant role”. To the state law enforcing agencies, the organizations have them to be “alert and find out those responsible for the recent incidents of bombing and attacks.”

Fat meat: Dimapur’s chicken sellers injecting water to meat

As if the infamy of meat dealers were not enough, some chicken sellers in Dimapur are now resorting to illegal and unethical means to make more money – injecting water into the meat of chicken to make the meat heavier. This bizarre revelation was brought before the public by a local consumers’ group. Dimapur-based organization Life Consumer Society and RTI issued a press release eon Wednesday reporting about the crime.

“This is for information to the consumers of Dimapur district, that some of the vested butchers at Purana Bazar are trying to sell their items (chicken) by increasing the misleading weight by injecting water into the body of chicken in order to achieve good profit, by doing unfair trade practice, we have come across during the course of social audit,” the nongovernmental organization stated.

Consumers are informed to be aware of “such evil practices from the hand of vested butchers in future, and then report to the office” of Life Consumer Society and RTI. The address of the organization is OB-30, Super Market Complex in Dimapur. The contact number is 03862224218 for citizens to register complaints, president of the NGO, KhekutoTuccu, stated in the press release.

Armed NNC activist apprehended

Basing on specific information about the movement of an armed cadre of the NNC in Burma Camp of Dimapur, troopers of the 29th Assam Rifles on February 22 apprehended one self-styled “captain” Hezekiya Sema of the underground group. He was found armed with a 7.65 mm pistol, the Assam Rifles informed on Wednesday. The apprehended individual and the weapon have been handed over to East Police Station of Dimapur.