DIMAPUR, JULY 28 (MExN): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) will take over from the Nagaland Police the investigation into the July 13 bomb blast in Chümoukedima. The suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion, which occurred near the Khovanalla iron bridge in Chümoukedima A, claimed the life of one Assam Rifles’ soldier, while wounding four others.
According to a press release issued by the Nagaland Police Headquarters (PHQ), the state government was informed of the decision via a communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on July 27. It said that the MHA took the decision after determining it was a “scheduled offence” under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008. “The Central Government taking the opinion that a scheduled Offence under the National Investigation Agency ACT, 2008, has been committed in the instant case, and in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 6(5) read with Section 8 of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, has directed the NIA to take over the investigation of the aforesaid case, having regard to the gravity of the offence and its national security implications.”
The release said that the state government and Nagaland Police “will be coordinating with NIA for the handing-over process as required by law.”
The NIA take-over comes more than a week after Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, on July 18, revealed that the state government was going to hand over the case to the NIA.
The state government had also requisitioned the National Security Guard’s (NSG) expertise to assist the Nagaland Police in the investigation. An NSG post-blast investigation unit scoured the blast site on July 15.
