Home India Naga militants got funds from state departments: NIA

Naga militants got funds from state departments: NIA

In an official statement, the agency said, “These seizures prima facie indicate the connivance of these government organisations in funding various underground organisations operating in Nagaland.”

Militants triggered a bomb just minutes before Modi's rally at Imphal. (Reuters)

THE NATIONAL Investigation Agency’s (NIA) probe into institutionalised extortion rackets run by Naga militant groups in Nagaland has revealed that these groups – NSCN(K), NSCN(IM) and Naga National Council – were getting money allegedly from 14 state government departments. The NSCN(IM) is engaged with government in negotiations for the Naga Peace Accord and had signed a framework agreement in 2015.

On January 18, the NIA had conducted searches in various government departments in Nagaland and seized documents related to payments purportedly made to various Naga groups. “We have found documents that show that at least 14 government departments made regular payments to Naga groups, including NSCN(IM),” an NIA officer said. “We have seized receipts that show payments of Rs 2 crore. Further investigation is on.”

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In an official statement, the agency said, “These seizures prima facie indicate the connivance of these government organisations in funding various underground organisations operating in Nagaland.”

Sources said these government departments include the Directorate of Information Technology, Directorate of Soil and Water Conservation, Directorate of Irrigation, Directorate of Rural Development, Directorate of Urban Development, PWD, Roads and Buildings and Directorate of Information and Public Relations.

According to the NIA, S Khetoshe Sumi, a senior cadre of NSCN(K), was apprehended by the Assam Rifles in Dimapur, Nagaland, on July 31, 2016. Sumi revealed that he was the organisation’s ‘in-charge of finance’ for Kohima and Dimapur regions, and that his main responsibility was to collect funds for NSCN(K) through illegal taxation of various government departments, the NIA said.

The agency took over the investigation subsequently and arrested one more accused, identified as Victo Swu, alias V K Sumi, on September 28, 2016 from Kohima.

“Based on his revelations, incriminating documents showing the transfer of funds from some government departments to NSCN(K) by way of illegal taxation were recovered and seized in October 2016,” the NIA statement said.

In continuation of this, searches were conducted by NIA teams in various other government offices in Kohima on January 18. “During these searches, a large volume of incriminating documents, showing transfer of funds from various government departments to several underground organisations, including NSCN-K, were recovered and seized,” according to the statement. “These seizures prima facie indicate the connivance of these government organisations in funding the various underground organisations operating in Nagaland.”

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