Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 24
The Nagaland Government has received the report of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) enquiring into last year’s November 24 assassination bid on the life of Goa Governor Dr. SC Jamir. While a detailed report has been forwarded related to the circumstances surrounding the ambush, the offenders responsible for the abortive attack on the former Nagaland chief minister has yet to be ascertained but certainly pointing to ‘some of our militant groups.’
The report also ruled out the veracity of the allegations that Jamir staged the incident for political mileage and that there was lapse in the security or inadequacy of security arrangements. However, it was admitted by highly reliable sources associated with the investigation that information of Jamir’s movement was leaked out, most possibly by someone from within the Goa Governor’s own security grouping. And this information was leaked just an hour before the convoy came under attack on the morning of November 24.
Additional Director General of Police CP Giri, IPS, said the SIT’s report has already been submitted to the State government on January 10. Giri, who heads the three-member SIT, also said that there were no indications at all that there was any lapse in the security arrangement. “Yes, the security was adequate” the ADGP said adding that even Jamir during cross-examinations acknowledged the same. Jamir was quite satisfied, Giri said while quoting the former. Giri said that the main purpose of the SIT was to find out whether or not security was adequate, the circumstances around the ambush and who perpetrated the ambush. The ADGP however refused to give any further details on the report. Additional sources said it is being examined by the police and Home department.
Meanwhile highly reliable sources from the government and police associated with the entire matter, gave a number of details contained in the SIT’s report. While the suspects remain a speculation due to “absence of hard evidence linking them directly to the ambush”, some startling disclosures were made. The source said that while security was adequate, the information about the route Jamir was to take on the morning of November 24 was leaked out. That morning those in concern was given the impression that Jamir would be taking any of the three routes to Dimapur from Mokokchung – the route from Mokokchung via Mariani, Mokokchung to Dimapur via Wokha and Kohima and Mokokchung to Dimapur via Amguri.
The source explained: ‘As a critical security measure, any route the Governor (may) take is kept strictly confidential and known only to very few security in-charges. Till the 23rd of November none had any idea on the route Jamir would take. Only on the morning of November 24th security members were briefed an hour before departure of the route to be taken.’ The fact that bombs could be planted on the very route indicates that information was leaked. The source, however did not disclose those who were briefed over the route to be taken.
On the ambush itself, the source disclosed that nine IEDs were planted, each about 12-15 feet apart. Of it, six detonated while three failed to. One of the IEDs, in fact exploded just about a few feet away from the actual car Jamir was traveling in – and not the car he was believed to be in. The source remarked that ‘if the ambush was at all stage-managed by Jamir himself, he surely wouldn’t want to kill himself!’ Considering the circumstances and proximity of the explosions, “This is not possible. The ambush was not stage-managed” the source exclaimed.
