Kohima: Four days after the tragic killing of civilians at Oting in Nagaland, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has started its investigation and urged the people to come out with any information they have on the incident.
Superintendent of Police (Crime) of Nagaland Police, Manoj Kumar said this on Thursday and added that the information may be shared via phone call or WhatsApp message to +91 6009803048 or email to otingsit@gmail.com and the identity of the informant will be kept confidential on request.
"Any person having photos, videos, suspicious activities from primary source or any other information connected with the incident in original may kindly share it in the interest of police investigation," Kumar said in a statement issued on Thursday.
The original recorded audio/video/document would be collected from the source after following due legal procedures, he said.
At least 17 persons were killed in a 'botched up' operation by the para troopers of the Assam Rifles on Saturday evening (December 4) between Tiru and Oting in Mon district of Nagaland that borders Myanmar. The security forces stated that they conducted the operation based on specific information about movement of militants in the area.
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However, all the victims turned out to be civilians while one security force personnel was also killed in retaliatory attack by the local villagers. Tension prevailed in the area following the incident and locals also set on fire some vehicles belonging to the forces and set on fire a base camp of the security forces the next day.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had made a statement in the parliament over the incident and assured a probe by the SIT, which will submit its report within one month's time.
Meanwhile, the ceasefire militant outfit NSCN (IM), while condemning the statements of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, threatened that there will be no talks until the government repeals the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Nagaland.
Following the massacre of civilians at Oting in Nagaland, people and civil society organizations in different parts of the state have demanded repeal of the AFSPA from different states in the region.
