Kohima: The Nagaland Cabinet of Ministers has decided to order a judicial inquiry to probe the mass upheaval in Wokha on April 21 and subsequent alleged attack on Deputy Commissioner Rovilatuo Mor and rampage at the DC Conference Hall by a mob from Longsa village.
Nagaland Chief Secretary Lalthara informed on Friday that the Cabinet, which met on Thursday at Kohima, had decided to go for a judicial inquiry.
He said the High-Level Committee, instituted by the government soon after the incident to inquire the case, was given only a short period of time.
A notification issued by the Cabinet Secretariat on Friday also said the Nagaland Cabinet ‘could not accept’ the findings and observations of the committee about the role of the district administration and district police during the time the incident occurred.
The Cabinet decided to set up a judicial inquiry into the incident to inquire into the incident in more details, and fix responsibilities for the incident, the notification issued by the Deputy Secretary of Nagaland Government T Semi informed.
The committee headed by Nagaland Principal Secretary for Agriculture H K Khulu and Agriculture Production Commissioner in its report submitted on Thursday to the Nagaland State Cabinet had stated that the time of 15-days stipulated by the state was a limitation considering that the committee is not an investigative agency, indicating that the report submitted may not be complete in its entirety.
However, the Cabinet had accepted in principle the recommendations of the committee to undertake immediate as well as long term measures to prevent similar incidents in future.
The chief secretary said the Village Development Board (VDB) of Longsa would be suspended while prosecution of the people involved in the April 21 incident would be initiated.
The disturbance in Wokha town on April 21 was reported to be associated with Longsa’s Village Development Board (VDB) elections.
The Cabinet met the Angami Public Organisation (APO) in the residence of Home Minister Imkong L Imchen at Kohima, official sources said. (UNI)