Nagaland
NIA files chargesheet against 5 cops for selling arms to Naga militants
PTI
NEW DELHI, JANUARY 29
[dropcap]P[/dropcap]robing an unusual case of law enforcers turning rogue, NIA has charge sheeted five policemen including one of the rank of Superintendent of Police for allegedly selling arms to cadres of Naga militant group NSCN-IM. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed charge sheet against Sejongmong Sangtam, who was the then Superintendent of Police, James Ovung, who was the then Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Enyihi, Longlise Sangtam and Sashitsungba Ao (all Nagaland Police officials) under various sections of IPC and Arms Act for allegedly supplying arms and ammunition to the Naga group who used them against other groups including arch rivals NSCN- Khaplang outfit.
The charge sheet, submitted in Special NIA court at Dimapur earlier this week, said that during investigation, the accused police officials “were found involved in misappropriation of huge quantities of ammunition from the Arms Kote of District Police Wokha, Nagaland by preparing forged documents during the period of 2011-2012, with an ulterior motive.”
The NIA claimed to have established that the charge sheeted police personnel including the senior officials during their service tenure in the district of Wokha, allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with common intention to commit criminal breach of trust by indulging in pilferage of huge quantities of live ammunitions from Government Kote and to sell it “to anti national elements in exchange of money.”
The case came to light with the arrest of a Nagaland police constable by Assam Rifles troops on April 20, 2012 and it was found during initial probe that he had been involved in selling ammunition meant for Nagaland Police to NSCN-IM since last seven years.
The NSCN (IM) was using the ammunition for training their cadres and youths for waging war against India, the agency sources said.