Confidentiality, marked with apprehension, surrounds the investigation into the Pachaspura killing at 7th Mile, Dimapur. Two weeks on, the Special Investigation Team set up to probe the discovery of nine bodies on January 3 remains tight-lipped on the progress of the case, while the Centre and the Assam government mulls over the idea of a central agency handling the case. SIT head, DIG Liremo Lotha, IPS, DIG (Range/NAP) Kohima, maintained his earlier position stating that the team is on the job and cannot disclose anything at this stage, while citing that it may jeopardize investigation. “We are on the job. When we’re able to make a breakthrough we will definitely tell you,” said DIG Lotha outside the SP’s office in Dimapur on Thursday evening following a meeting of the investigation team. The SIT, according to sources, has got clues which might aid investigation. Queried on this, DIG Lotha replied, “We are working on certain leads, so now at this juncture if we start publicising all this, we have an apprehension that it will jeopardize our investigation.” Asked whether the SIT has been able to establish the authenticity of the Naga Rengma Hills Protection Force’s reported claim of having committed the killings, Lotha said that the team is conducting the investigation “keeping all options open.”
