Former chief minister and his party says NIA summon is part of a ‘well-webbed political vendetta’
Dimapur, March 12 (EMN): A letter of summon issued to former chief minister of Nagaland TR Zeliang by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the agency’s ongoing probe into alleged “terror funding” by some departments of the Nagaland government has prompted cries of ‘political vendetta’ from Zeliang and his party the Naga People’s Front (NPF).
On Monday, the NIA sent a letter summoning Zeliang to appear before the NIA officer leading said investigation, at 10 am on March 13 at the NIA headquarters in New Delhi. The NIA stated in the letter that Zeliang ‘appears to be acquainted with the circumstances of the case’ being investigated for which he was required to appear before the NIA with ‘documents relevant to the payments received from the government departments.’
The case pertains to alleged payments made to armed Naga groups including the banned NSCN (K) by at least 14 departments of the government of Nagaland. On Jan. 18 2017, the NIA had searched the offices of various government departments in Nagaland and seized receipts of payments made to the tune of INR 2 cr.
Back then, the agency had said that the seizures prima facie indicate the involvement of government officers in funding the armed groups operating in Nagaland. In November 2017, the state government employees took to a massive protest rally in Kohima after the NIA arrested some government officers in connection with the case.
In response to the NIA's summon, Zeliang has written to the agency stating inability to appear as directed before the NIA officer because of the scheduled Nagaland Legislative Assembly session from March 13 to 26th. “I am required to attend the session as the leader of opposition,” Zeliang wrote.
In separate statements issued to the press on Monday, Zeliang’s press secretary as well as the NPF's cried political vendetta while questioning the timing of the summon. According to Zeliang’s press secretary, the summon was issued twice on March 12 morning through the chief minister’s office.
The first one was faxed 15 minutes past midnight while the second copy was served at 10.05 am, it stated. “Earlier, on February 15 and 16, just before the state assembly elections, NIA had summoned for questioning three officials to Guwahati which included the OSD, media officer and public relations officer to the then chief minister, TR Zeliang.
“On 1st March, just before the election results were announced, an officer of Zeliang (sic) was again summoned and interrogated for 5 days, from 3rd March to 7th March at its HQ, New Delhi. The latest summoning of the former chief minister himself comes at a time when the state assembly is slated to hold its session from 13th March to 26th March,” it read.
The timing was ‘conspicuously odd and political motivation and vendetta surrounding the case cannot be ruled out,’ it stated further.
Also, the NPF called it a ‘devious game being played’ against the former chief minister by the NIA. According to the party, this episode has raised ‘very serious questions as to whether a well-webbed political vendetta is being played out.’
