india

Updated: May 27, 2019 18:29 IST

Almost a week after National People’s Party MLA from Khonsa West Tirong Aboh and ten others were gunned down by suspected militants, the Arunachal Pradesh police are yet to make any concrete headway into the investigations.

“No arrests have been made so far. The investigations are in a preliminary stage,” said Take Ringu, DIG Eastern Range.

Ringu said the police suspect the Isak-Muivah faction of the Naga rebel group National Socialist Council of Nagaland of carrying out the ambush on May 21. The group is in talks with the Government of India.

“Four five days prior to the incident, the locals where the attack happened have revealed the presence of NSCN (IM) cadres,” a police official said.

The Indian Army and the Assam Rifles continue their combing operations in the jungles of Tirap, Longding and Changlang, according to officials.

On March 21, Aboh’s convoy of four cars on its way from Assam to Khonsa, the district headquarters of Tirap was waylaid at 12 Mile on the Khonsa Deomali road by attackers who opened indiscriminate fire with automatic weapons before fleeing the spot. Aboh, his son, and nine others including his security personnel and close aides were killed.

In March, Jaley Anna, another Aboh supporter was killed by suspected militants in Tirap. “We are not ruling out the possibility that it could be the handiwork of the same group,” said Ringu. According to him, while the police managed to arrest one of the persons involved in Anna’s murder, the rest are absconding.

The police are also yet to question the two eye witnesses who crossed the area on their motorbikes as the incident happened. One of them, according to Ringu, tried to evacuate Aboh’s son but had to leave him because of the serious nature of the injuries.

Aboh’s supporters have claimed that it was a political killing. In the May 23 results, Aboh won the polls again from Khonsa West defeating Phawang Lowang of the BJP.

Ringu said Lowang is yet to be questioned as he is out of station.

“We are waiting for the new government to take over. We will step up the pressure once they take oath,” said a close aide of Aboh speaking on condition of anonymity.

A police official said the motive of the attack was not clear yet, but preliminary investigations point out that the outspoken nature of Aboh may have made him a target.

On Monday, outgoing chief minister Pema Khandu met Arunachal Pradesh Governor BD Sharma to stake claim to form the next government as BJP sailed through to a comfortable majority in the recently concluded polls.