Public fund diversion to Naga outfits: NIA arrest four Nagaland govt officials

A top official of the prime investigating agency said the arrested officials were identified as ex-director of DTE of Tourism Purakhu Angami, Additional Director of DTE of Agriculture V Aza, Joint Director of Irrigation department Hutoi Sema and Superintendent cum cashier of DTE of Fisheries Kekhriesatuo Tep.

The investigating agency had earlier arrested three officials of Nagaland government for their alleged involvement with extortion and tax collection from various government departments on behalf of the banned organization NSCN-K.

For the alleged nexus between the Nagaland government officials and the Naga underground groups and diversion of development funds for survival of militants, a case (no 90/2016) was registered at Sub-Urban police station in Dimapur on Aug 1, 2016.

“Following directive by the Ministry of Home Affairs (order no 11011/23/2016-IS.IV, dated August 17, 2016), the NIA had registered a case (no – RC-01/2016/NIA-GUW) at its Guwahati office on August 18, 2016 under sections 384 of IPC, 10, 13, 17 and 20 of UA (P) act read with sections 7 and 8 of NSR, 25 (1B) arms act and section 13 of Drugs and Cosmetics act and started investigation into the alleged nexus between Nagaland government officials and the Naga underground groups,” the top NIA officials said.

The top NIA official said all four government officials were arrested from Dimapur and they were produced before the special NIA court at Dimapur and taken police custody.

Since past couple of decades, crores of rupees have been diverted to the coffers of Naga outfits including NSCN-K despite centre’s efforts to stop such illegal diversion of public funds.

Earlier, NIA had arrested three officials of Nagaland government in connection with funding to the banned outfit NSCN-K in April last.

The sleuths of the investigating agency had earlier arrested Joint Director, DDO of Social Welfare department, Joint Director, DDO of Land Resources department and UDA cum Cashier of Land Resources department in connection with the alleged charges of large scale extortion and illegal tax collection on behalf of the outlawed NSCN (K) from various government department and others from Dimapur and Kohima.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)