Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday asked the police department to speed up investigations into cases of arms and ammunition thefts from police armoury, which hit headlines in the state earlier this year.
Addressing the general conference of Nagaland Police Service Association (NPSA) at Police Complex, Chumukedima on Wednesday, Rio disclosed that the state government had received letters from the Union Home Ministry that it would send in a CBI team, if there was any further delay in the investigations.
He said arms and ammunition thefts involving police personnel was a ‘worrying development’ and assumed a very ‘serious threat’ to the ‘functioning and integrity’ of the state police force.
He said, ‘Such incidents of loss and theft of arms and ammunition have brought ‘shame and disrepute and is a blot to the force.’
Rio said the investigations should be completed expeditiously to book the guilty and punish them and to bring back the good name and image of the state police force.
The chief minister said the Nagaland Police with 26,767 personnel in its payroll has one of the highest police personnel to population ratio (1:74) in the country.
Home Minister Imkong L Imchen who also addressed the conference, lauded the police force for their dedication and commitment inmaintaining law and order, despite the difficult nature of policing in a state like Nagaland with unresolved political issues and problems.
Director General of Police O Alem and more than a hundred police officers (DSP rank and above) attended the conference. (UNI)