One police personnel has been arrested in Chumoukedima for illegal transportation of ammunition from the Arms and Ammunition branch of the Police Central store.
Nagaland Director General of Police, Rupin Sharma, IPS confirming this development said that one Armed Branch Inspector named Michael Yanthan of the Police Department who is in-charge of the Arms and Ammunition branch of the Police Central store was arrested for illegal transportation of ammunition to Manipur.
The police had received information on 9 July that there was going to be a transaction of illegal arms and ammunition and accordingly in the evening of 10 July, a car was intercepted in 6th Mile, Chumoukedima and upon inspection large quantities of ammunition were found concealed in rice bags.
2480 rounds of ammunition were retrieved by the police.
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The DGP said that during investigation it was revealed that some people from Manipur had paid money to purchase the ammunition.
“They were looking for ammunition and so far, as we know that the ammunition was meant to be delivered to someone in Manipur beyond this we can’t say anything,” added the DGP.
He informed that those involved in the crime were three individuals from the Zeliang community, one from the Ao community who is also a part of the Bike Riders Club of Nagaland and had acted in his own capacity, one deputy kilonser of NSCN IM and Inspector Michael Yanthan.
Mentioning that Yanthan was only acting in his personal capacity, Sharma said that they have not found any angle of any conspiracy or any wrongdoing by any other person. Yanthan was in-charge of the store, and he just stole the ammunition from there without anyone knowing it and the investigation revealed that he was actually being foolish and greedy.
“He had stolen the ammunition and he was planning to show it as used against the next classification firing which would have taken place. It is absolute foolish act on his part,” added Sharma.
Asserting that the case is more or less closed, the DGP informed that administratively a committee comprising of senior officers under an IG has been set up to inspect and to look into why it went wrong and whether any additional improvements in the system can be made so that things are in control. The Dimapur police have already conducted the investigation, he said.
Commenting on the case the DGP said, “It is just a stray incident on one rotten apple.”
The DGP refused to comment whether this case is related to the ongoing violence in Manipur.
On query to what type of action will be initiated against the erring police personal, Sharma said there are two different processes of action, one is in the criminal case where the erring officer is in the judicial custody and law will take its course and there will be proper court trial and the other is the departmental action for misconduct. “We have proposed to the government for him being put under suspension than departmental inquiry will be set up so than based on the results of the departmental enquiry whatever punishment is proposed that will be carried out. The department will take action based on the enquiry which can even extend to termination depending on the enquiry,” said Sharma.
Further he informed that there was another case recently about ten days before this incident where one head constable and a constable of Nagaland Police were caught selling ammunition which were hived off from the store by fudging the records and the two personnels had also been arrested.
He assured that the Police is vigilant and have systems put in place.
