Nagaland Police: Evolving from armed policing to civil policing

•    Gets 561 vehicles via Modernisation schemes
•    NIA yet to take over IED blast investigation

Morung Express News 
Chümoukedima | July 27

The Nagaland Police has acquired a fleet of 561 vehicles, arguably the single biggest acquisition of motor transport in the department's history. It came courtesy of the Union government's Assistance to States and Union Territories for Modernisation of Police (ASUMP) 2025-26 and Modernisation of Forensic Capacities (2024-25) schemes. The fleet included 12 Mobile Forensic Laboratory Vans, 64 motorcycles, and an assortment of transport vehicles like buses, pickups, water tankers, and cars such as Jimnys, Vitaras, Scorpios, Boleros and Innovas. 

The ceremonial flag-off was conducted, on July 27, at the Nagaland Police Complex in Chümoukedima, where Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio did the honours. The acquisition was part of a larger, nearly Rs 150 cr allocation for police modernisation that would replace 35 to 40 percent of the department’s aging fleet. According to the CM, the allocation was a significant increase from previous allocations that ranged from Rs 4-6 cr annually.  He termed the new vehicles as “instruments of public service, symbol of our commitment to modern governance and investigation, in the safety and security of every citizen in our state.” 

He said that the evolving nature of policing and crime, along with the country replacing colonial laws with three new criminal codes, necessitate a transition for the state police. “Our Nagaland Police must continue its transition from predominantly armed policing to professional, investigation-oriented, and community-centered policing,” he said. The Nagaland Police, by design, has been oriented towards counter-insurgency over the course of its more than 6 decades history.  

In a subsequent press conference, Director General of Police (DGP) Rupin Sharma and Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Sandeep M Tamgadge referenced the state police’s deficits in investigative aids and civil policing. Echoing the Chief Minister’s view, the DGP admitted that the department has long placed emphasis on armed policing over other specialised aspects required of a modern police force. 

“Traditionally, Nagaland Police has been built up around armed policing,” Sharma stated, adding that investigative capabilities, human expertise, tools, and forensic aids, were “not the focus.”

The new criminal laws mandate forensic examination of crime scenes for all offenses carrying punishments exceeding seven years. According to ADGP Tamgadge, the newly acquired mobile forensic vans would help bridge the department’s geographical limitations. The state has only one forensic science laboratory, located in Dimapur.

In June, there was a rape case in Kiphire. A forensic team from Dimapur could reach the crime scene only the next day. 

While the state has 17 administrative districts, 12 is the number of forensic vans acquired. While the long-term goal is to station at least one forensic van in each district, he said that they must be deployed judiciously to areas with higher crime rates to prevent resources from sitting idle in low-crime districts.

In response to questions about technical or forensic personnel, Sharma confirmed that the state cabinet recently approved the separation of the Forensic Science Directorate from the police department. He said that the department has requested the Nagaland Public Service Commission to fill five technical posts, which have already been advertised.

Regarding the tendency of families to refuse post-mortems in cases of unnatural death, Sharma urged the public to cooperate with legal mandates. He said that autopsies are essential not only to rule out foul play but also to fulfill legal requirements for compensation. “Performing post-mortems is actually good. You never know, a seemingly genuine death can turn out to involve foul play,” he said. 

Queried on the July 13 suspected IED blast that claimed the life of an Assam Rifles’ soldier, Sharma said, “We are following several leads… so it is better that we do not share the details at this stage.”

The Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, on July 17, had said that the state government will be handing over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The DGP clarified that the final decision on whether a case would be taken over by the NIA rests with the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

He added that while the state government has made the proposal, the Ministry has not yet conveyed its final decision. He said, “That decision has not yet been officially conveyed to us. Even if it has been taken, we have not received the formal communication.”