Dimapur, July 5 (MExN): The Nagaland state government today wrote to the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, seeking his intervention for early disposal of the writ appeal No. 25 (K) 2010: United/Inavi Village vrs State of Nagaland, and No. 30 (K) 2010: Inavi Village vrs the State of Nagaland which is pending in Kohima bench.
The move was made following the 30th June 2011 incident where a group of armed miscreants, who subsequently claimed themselves to be Zeliangrong Volunteers for Forest and Environment Protection, attacked the Inavi villagers within the Ntangki National Park, killing 2 and seriously injuring 2 others.
Chief Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, Lalthara stated in the request statement that the law and order situation within the National Park has become very sensitive, with the Western Sumi Hoho giving an ultimatum to the State Government to apprehend the culprits within 15 days, and the Zeliangrong Volunteers for Forest and Environmental Protection also giving an ultimatum to the State Government to evict the Inavi encroachers within 7 days, failing which, both the groups have threatened to take their own course of action to enforce their own justice.
“Therefore, the Government strongly feels that there is a need for early disposal of the stated case, with the kind intervention of the Chief Justice, as it has become a matter of grave public importance,” Chief Secretary stated further.
Meanwhile, highlighting the series of event the Chief Secretary said that within Ntangki National Park, there were encroachments by illegal settlers, who call themselves as Inavi Villagers. This Inavi Village has never been recognised by the State Government, nor are they original inhabitants of Ntangki National Park area. They are mostly encroachers migrating from other parts of the state to encroach into this National Park area.
Accordingly, in July 2009, the State Government launched eviction drive against the Inavi Villagers. At that time, the Inavi Villagers had filed a writ petition (C) No. 111 (K) 2009, on which, a Single Bench of the High Court had ordered status quo to be maintained, by staying the eviction drive of the Government. Another writ petition (C) No. 217 (K) 2009 was also filed by United/Inavi Village on the same eviction issue. Vide judgment and order dated 14-9-2010, passed by Justice Hrishikesh Roy, the above two petitions by United/Inavi Village were finally dismissed.
Thereafter, the State Forest Department launched a fresh eviction drive against Inavi Village. The Inavi Village then filed writ appeal No. 25 (K) 2010: United/Inavi Village versus State of Nagaland against the judgment and order dated 14-9-2010 of the Single Bench. A Division Bench, vide order dates 7-10-2010, passed ad interim order, asking the parties to maintain status quo, thereby halting the eviction drive of the State Government. Another writ appeal No. 30 (K) 2010 was also filed by Inavi Village on the same issue. Although the Government had filed its counter affidavit in the writ appeal, and also prayed for vacation of the court’s interim order for maintenance of status quo, no proper hearing of this writ appeal has been held by the High Court during the last 7 months or so.
The Gauhati High Court had constituted several Benches during the last 7 months. However, no actual hearing of this writ appeal had taken place due to various reasons. One interesting fact is that Justice K. Meruno had excused himself from being a part of the Division Bench for hearing this case on the ground that he had earlier pleaded as an advocate in connection with a case which was somewhat related to the present subject matter. In spite of this, Justice K. Meruno was made a part of the Division Bench at Kohima Bench during January 2011, February 2011 and again June 2011 and therefore the Division Bench consisting of Justice K. Meruno were also constituted in March 2011, April 2011 and may 2011 but somehow the above writ appeal was never heard by the Division Benches also, in spite of the best efforts of the Government’s advocates to get the case listed for hearing.
The move was made following the 30th June 2011 incident where a group of armed miscreants, who subsequently claimed themselves to be Zeliangrong Volunteers for Forest and Environment Protection, attacked the Inavi villagers within the Ntangki National Park, killing 2 and seriously injuring 2 others.
Chief Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, Lalthara stated in the request statement that the law and order situation within the National Park has become very sensitive, with the Western Sumi Hoho giving an ultimatum to the State Government to apprehend the culprits within 15 days, and the Zeliangrong Volunteers for Forest and Environmental Protection also giving an ultimatum to the State Government to evict the Inavi encroachers within 7 days, failing which, both the groups have threatened to take their own course of action to enforce their own justice.
“Therefore, the Government strongly feels that there is a need for early disposal of the stated case, with the kind intervention of the Chief Justice, as it has become a matter of grave public importance,” Chief Secretary stated further.
Meanwhile, highlighting the series of event the Chief Secretary said that within Ntangki National Park, there were encroachments by illegal settlers, who call themselves as Inavi Villagers. This Inavi Village has never been recognised by the State Government, nor are they original inhabitants of Ntangki National Park area. They are mostly encroachers migrating from other parts of the state to encroach into this National Park area.
Accordingly, in July 2009, the State Government launched eviction drive against the Inavi Villagers. At that time, the Inavi Villagers had filed a writ petition (C) No. 111 (K) 2009, on which, a Single Bench of the High Court had ordered status quo to be maintained, by staying the eviction drive of the Government. Another writ petition (C) No. 217 (K) 2009 was also filed by United/Inavi Village on the same eviction issue. Vide judgment and order dated 14-9-2010, passed by Justice Hrishikesh Roy, the above two petitions by United/Inavi Village were finally dismissed.
Thereafter, the State Forest Department launched a fresh eviction drive against Inavi Village. The Inavi Village then filed writ appeal No. 25 (K) 2010: United/Inavi Village versus State of Nagaland against the judgment and order dated 14-9-2010 of the Single Bench. A Division Bench, vide order dates 7-10-2010, passed ad interim order, asking the parties to maintain status quo, thereby halting the eviction drive of the State Government. Another writ appeal No. 30 (K) 2010 was also filed by Inavi Village on the same issue. Although the Government had filed its counter affidavit in the writ appeal, and also prayed for vacation of the court’s interim order for maintenance of status quo, no proper hearing of this writ appeal has been held by the High Court during the last 7 months or so.
The Gauhati High Court had constituted several Benches during the last 7 months. However, no actual hearing of this writ appeal had taken place due to various reasons. One interesting fact is that Justice K. Meruno had excused himself from being a part of the Division Bench for hearing this case on the ground that he had earlier pleaded as an advocate in connection with a case which was somewhat related to the present subject matter. In spite of this, Justice K. Meruno was made a part of the Division Bench at Kohima Bench during January 2011, February 2011 and again June 2011 and therefore the Division Bench consisting of Justice K. Meruno were also constituted in March 2011, April 2011 and may 2011 but somehow the above writ appeal was never heard by the Division Benches also, in spite of the best efforts of the Government’s advocates to get the case listed for hearing.
State govt under fire; Inavi village warns of retaliation
Dimapur, July 5 (MExN): Local leaders of ‘Inavi/Hevuto village’ today posed a number of queries to the state government on matters associated with the June 30 killings and related issues in the Intangki National Park areas. A statement containing the queries warned today the “similar Sumi and tribal volunteers” would be raised to retaliate “against the invaders” if the government fails to arrest and book the criminals.
Appended as “Inavi/Hevuto village”, the statement queried whether the action of the “Zeliangrong volunteers who took responsibility of June 30 incident” was a “mandated machinery of the state government.” “Whether the so-called Zeliangrong volunteers has been sanctioned to shoot at sight order and engaged by the state government to commit mass murder and loot the innocent Nagas. Who are the Zeliangrong volunteers? Is it a self-styled organization, dacoits or a terrorist group?” the statement, appended by ‘Hd.GB’ Hevuto Swu queried the state government. The statement narrated accounts of the day of the incident.
According to the statement a group of about thirty to forty armed people entered the village around 2 PM.
Most of the men were out in the fields and a few elderly persons and women and children were in the village. The intruders the started to fire indiscriminately and proceeded to apprehend the chairman and assistant GB of the village. Their hands and legs were tied and then they were dragged outside and shot dead, the statement said.
“The armed Zeliangrongs also fired upon two aged persons namely Mr. Thilizu and Mr. Ghotovi. However the shots were misfired and the due made their escape and many more women folks and children sustained bullet injuries in the attempted mass massage by the armed Zeliangrong group,” the statement alleged.
The statement further alleged that prior to the attack, on June 29, the Deputy Commissioner of Peren deputed police personnel and DBs of Peren to inspect and verify the number of houses and the population of “Inavi/Hevuto village.” The villagers are wondering “at the sudden action of the DC (Peren coinciding with the attack.” The statement also demanded to know whether the Peren Deputy Commissioner’s action was a “coincidence or is the DC (Peren) abetting the commission of mass murder by the so-called Zeliangrong volunteers.”
Appended as “Inavi/Hevuto village”, the statement queried whether the action of the “Zeliangrong volunteers who took responsibility of June 30 incident” was a “mandated machinery of the state government.” “Whether the so-called Zeliangrong volunteers has been sanctioned to shoot at sight order and engaged by the state government to commit mass murder and loot the innocent Nagas. Who are the Zeliangrong volunteers? Is it a self-styled organization, dacoits or a terrorist group?” the statement, appended by ‘Hd.GB’ Hevuto Swu queried the state government. The statement narrated accounts of the day of the incident.
According to the statement a group of about thirty to forty armed people entered the village around 2 PM.
Most of the men were out in the fields and a few elderly persons and women and children were in the village. The intruders the started to fire indiscriminately and proceeded to apprehend the chairman and assistant GB of the village. Their hands and legs were tied and then they were dragged outside and shot dead, the statement said.
“The armed Zeliangrongs also fired upon two aged persons namely Mr. Thilizu and Mr. Ghotovi. However the shots were misfired and the due made their escape and many more women folks and children sustained bullet injuries in the attempted mass massage by the armed Zeliangrong group,” the statement alleged.
The statement further alleged that prior to the attack, on June 29, the Deputy Commissioner of Peren deputed police personnel and DBs of Peren to inspect and verify the number of houses and the population of “Inavi/Hevuto village.” The villagers are wondering “at the sudden action of the DC (Peren coinciding with the attack.” The statement also demanded to know whether the Peren Deputy Commissioner’s action was a “coincidence or is the DC (Peren) abetting the commission of mass murder by the so-called Zeliangrong volunteers.”
