New Delhi: The Nagaland Police has named 30 Indian Army personnel in its charge sheet in connection with the 14 civilian killings that took place in the state’s Mon district on December 4, 2021, after the Army opened fire in a case of “mistaken identity”, NDTV has reported.
The special investigation team (SIT), constituted by the Nagaland government to probe into the matter, named one Army officer and 29 jawans (soliders) in its charge sheet, which has been submitted to a court.
The SIT accused those involved in the ambush of not following standard operation procedures (SOPs) and the rules of engagement.
On December 4, 2021 evening, a contingent of the army’s counter-insurgency unit, 21 Para Special Forces, opened fire at civilians, who were residents of Oting village in the state’s Mon district bordering Myanmar, while they were returning home in a pick-up van after working at a coal mine.
The security forces apparently “mistook” them for militants. According to a statement issued by Dimapur-based 3 Corps of the army, the unit was on a counter-insurgency operation in the area following a tip-off on the likely movement of militants belonging to the NSCN (Khaplang).
The Nagaland government has sought the permission of the Union government to act against soldiers who are named in the charge sheet. The state police has also sent out a letter to the defence ministry, asking for its approval to initiate action against the soldiers concerned.
In the aftermath of the incident, there has been a clamour for repealing the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act, or AFSPA, which is enforced across large parts of the state. Many see it as the reason for the civilian killings in the Mon district.
The AFSPA empowers security forces to conduct operations and arrest anyone without any prior warrant besides giving immunity from arrest and prosecution to the security forces if they shoot someone dead.
In addition to the Nagaland government’s SIT, a separate army team, part of the army’s court of inquiry, is also probing into the incident. The Army inquiry is headed by a Major General, who had already visited Oting village and examined the site to understand the circumstances leading up to the incident. The Wire
