Claims shopkeeper was summoned, not abducted
DIMAPUR, July 31 (MExN): The Cease Fire Supervisory Board, NSCN-K (Niki Group) issued a press release on July 31 clarifying what it termed was the police leveling “baseless” abduction charges against the group. The issue pertained to an altercation, which reportedly occurred on June 28 in the “Nagarjan area,” between a shopkeeper and an unnamed Kilonser.
In the release, issued by the CFSB Supervisor, the shopkeeper was accused of physically assaulting the Kilonser on the said date and for which, the former was “summoned” by the group for “questioning.” The shopkeeper allegedly “did not bother to co-operate” in spite of being informed “several times to appear in person.” As a result, they were compelled to pick him up on July 29 and was “not abducted as alleged by the police,” it claimed. It went on to add that the public, who were present in the area at the time, “were made aware of the reason why the shopkeeper is being picked up.”
During questioning, it claimed that the shopkeeper “confessed” to assaulting the Kilonser and apologised. While this was on, it said, “The CFSB received information that a case has been registered in the police for alleged abduction of the said shopkeeper. The CFSB was not aware of the incident as the case was not within the purview of the CFSB. Nevertheless, the CFSB took up the matter as urgent and got it ascertained from the authority handling the case and passed on the same to the police with a clarification that the person concerned was not abducted but summoned for questioning and is being released after completing the formalities.”
Despite, it alleged that the police “way-laid and intercepted the vehicle assigned to drop the shopkeeper, at Nagarjan and arrested the two staff,” who were escorting him back to the place from where he was picked up earlier in the day. The police, it added, went on to claim it was a rescue.
As a “people’s government,” it stated that the NSCN-K (Niki Group) does not resort to anti-social activities, “and therefore expects sincere cooperation from all sections of the society towards its efforts not be hurled upon with such baseless allegation to serve the vested interests of few.”
While terming the CFSB as a “trusted facilitator” between the group and the various government agencies, it held that the “police should trust the Board and also have respect and due regards towards one another in the larger interest of all concerned.”
