Peren, October 10 (MExN): The Nagaland Zeliang People's Organisation (NZPO) has written to Home Commissioner, Nagaland demanding “immediate suspension and disciplinary action” against the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Chümoukedima, and personnel of the C Coy 14 IRB.
In a representation to the Home Commissioner, through its President Keviple Heilung on October 6, the NZPO demanded the actions for alleged “unlawful act of burning down building at Lamhainamdi Village” on September 13 as well as “unlawful arrest and detention” of 9 villagers at Chümoukedima Police Station (PS) on September 22.
As per the representation, the NZPO alleged that on September 13, several personnel of the C Coy of the 14 IRB came to the Lamhainamdi Village on the “verbal instruction of the ACP” and burnt down the building of one of the villagers.
The Chairman of Lamhainamdi, thereafter, lodged an FIR on September 14 against the ACP and the IRB personnel at Chümoukedima PS but instead, the ACP again brought a “contingent of police personnel to village” on September 22 and arrested the person whose building was burnt as well as 8 other villagers, all hailing from the Angami tribe, it alleged.
They were taken to Chümoukedima PS and in the wee hours of the morning September 23, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Diphupar, along with the ACP Chümoukedima “forced” the concerned villager to sign on a bond before releasing, the NZPO claimed.
The bond reportedly stated that the Lamhainamdi Village is “disputed land and if he is found on the land again, he will be fined Rs. 10,000.”
Immediately upon release, the concerned villager claiming innocence returned to the Chümoukedima PS and surrendered before the Officer-in-Charge (OC) and demanded that the bond he had signed be “deemed withdrawn and he be put in the lock-up and produced before the nearest Magistrate, but the OC refused to listen to him,” the NZPO alleged.
Consequently, he submitted a formal letter on September 23 addressed to the OC, Chümoukedima stating that since the latter was “refusing to accept the withdrawal of signing on the bond and also is refusing to place him under custody,” he was submitting in writing, “declaring withdrawal of the signing of the Bond.”
He “also makes it clear” that he will be returning to his land and continue with his development work, and that if the OC deems it right in the eye of law, the latter may arrest him, the NZPO claimed.
However, the OC again refused to accept the letter citing directive from “superior authority,” it added. Later, the concerned villager narrated the chain of events to a local media channel outside the PS on that particular day and it was broadcasted, the NZPO informed.
The concerned villager has also submitted a representation to the Director General of Police (DGP) Nagaland on September 26 urging for enquire into the matter and to take appropriate disciplinary action, it added.
In demanding the actions, the NZPO also asserted that the action of the ACP Chümoukedima was “without any basis” as neither a complaint or FIR was filed before the Chumoukedima PS nor there was any official directive from higher authority.
The organisation also pointed out that Lamhainamdi Village fall under the jurisdiction of the Peren District Administration and the ACP Chümoukedima acted “without jurisdiction.”
Accordingly, the NZPO maintained that the Lamhainamdi Villagers have not committed any illegality by working on their ancestral land and despite many actions by “illegal encroachers” have patiently waited for the Government to render justice.
However, instead of protecting the rights of the innocent, “we are being rewarded by atrocious unlawful action of the Government agency in support of illegal encroachers,” it alleged, while adding, “This will not end well unless immediate remedial action is taken by the Government.”
In this regard, the NZPO asserted that it is time for the State Government to take a “decisive stand” to either stand with the people “who are in the right or with elements of one tribe who are in the wrong.”
To this end, it urged the Home Commissioner to “immediately put the ACP, Chümoukedima, and the personnel of the C Coy 14 IRB under suspension and conduct disciplinary action against them in the interest of justice.”
On the ultimatum by the Western Sumi Youth Front (WSYF), it pointed out that the Front “belongs to only one tribe” and one wrong move may trigger result in state-wide conflagrations as Lamhainamdi Village has “membership from all the tribes of Nagaland.”
