The Assam government on Sunday decided to move the Centre and the Nagaland government for handing over the probe into recovery of nine bodies near Chumukedima in Nagaland to either the CBI or the National Investigation Agency after four more bodies were identified as those of migrant workers belonging to the Karbi tribe from Deopani in central Assam’s Karbi Anglong Hills district.
Karbi Anglong Superintendent of Police Mugdhajyoti Mahanta told The Hindu that the four were identified as Dhoni Rongpi, Sunil Rongpi, Rajib Ingti and Mangalsing Ingti from upper Deopani village . They went missing on December 28 while returning from Kohima, where they had worked as construction workers. Their families lodged a complaint with the Bokajan police on Saturday.
Assam Home Secretary G.D. Tripathi said Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi would write to the Centre and Nagaland for handing over the probe into the Chumukedima killings either to the CBI or the NIA. Assam suspected that the massacre to be the handiwork of an underground outfit of Nagaland. However, no organisation has claimed responsibility so far.
Of the nine bodies, five have been identified. All of them were Karbis and hailed from Bokajan.
n Saturday, one of the victims was identified as a Karbi youth, Harlangbi Ingti of Rongkimi village in Bokajan district. He also went missing on December 28 from Dimapur, where he had gone to buy garments.
Mr. Gogoi spoke to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in the morning. An official release issued here said that during the conversation, Mr. Rio condemned the incident and informed Mr. Gogoi that investigations were under way to nab the perpetrators.
On Saturday, as directed by Mr. Rio, the Nagaland government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SI,T) headed by Watichuchang Jamir, DIG, Kohima Range, and a three-member inquiry committee to conduct a probe into the incident and identify the perpetrators.
In another incident, five bodies were disinterred by the police from a pit near a canal at Mazbat in Udalguri district of the Bodoland Territorial Area District. The victims have been identified as Furen Narzary, 60, Sohan Gaur, 58, and his wife Dina Gour, Jatin Gour and his mother Deobari Gour. The Udalguri district police said all of them lived in the same house.
The police said Furen Narzary owned a farmhouse at Laiganpara village and Sohan Gaur and his wife worked in his farm. Jatin Gour and Deobari were relatives of Sohan Gaur.
The police said the victims were seen last on Saturday. They were killed with sharp as well as blunt weapons. Although the police are yet to ascertain the motive, they believe that a land dispute was behind the killings.
PTI adds
The SIT constituted to probe the killing of nine persons, whose highly decomposed bodies were found blindfolded with hands tied and shot from close range in a gorge in Dimapur, began its probe on Sunday, with police still trying to establish the identities of eight victims.
In its first meeting during the day, the Special Investigation Team discussed among other issues, the process of investigation and motive for the murder, Additional SP of Dimapur and a member of the SIT, Watichuchang Jamir said.
