NEW DELHI: The
National Investigation Agency on Sunday arrested three senior Nagaland government officials in its probe related to funding of Naga insurgent groups, particularly
National Socialist Council of Nagaland (
Khaplang), from the state exchequer. The development comes even as the central agency plans to reissue summons to former Nagaland chief minister
T R Zeliang, after the state assembly sessions get over next week, as his name has cropped up during the probe.
Those arrested on Sunday are – G Ikuto Zhimomi (Director, Directorate of Agriculture, Kohima), Ketouzo Peseyie (executive engineer in state rural development department) and Sangtemchuba (divisional accounts office in Nagaland’s urban development department).
“The above named officials in their official capacity provided substantial amount to
NSCN (K) by way of contributing government funds to the banned outfit, thereby supporting NSCN (K) in furtherance of its unlawful activities,” said Alok Mittal, Inspector General of Police,
NIA.
“They paid huge amount of money to various factions such as NSCN (K), NSCN (R), NNC and others from 2012 to 2016. The facts were revealed during the scrutiny of the official documents including demand letters and payment receipts which were seized during the searched carried out by NIA in 13 government offices on January 18, 2017,” said Mittal.
Sources said that their names were mentioned in the documents related to payments to the ultras, and their signatures/handwritings were confirmed by the CFSL Gandhinagar.
NIA has so far arrested 10 Nagaland government officials in this probe pertaining to alleged “tax collection” and “extortion” from state government departments by banned Naga insurgent groups.
Earlier, as first reported by TOI, NIA had issued summons to former chief minister
TR Zeliang, asking him to appear before it in Delhi on March 13. He sought exemption from appearance stating he was attending the assembly session.
NIA sources say former Nagaland CM Zeliang’s name emerged while probing payments to National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) from state government funds.
It has been revealed that banned insurgent group NSCN(K) was given around Rs 20 crore in just four years by the state officers by sharing with the outfit funds from the state exchequer.
S Khetoshe Sumi, finance in charge of NSCN(K) who was arrested last year, was extorting money from state government officials for which instructions were coming from Isak Sumi, a Myanmar-based key member of the outfit, who handles all the finances for anti-India operations.
