The National Investigation Agency on Sunday arrested three Nagaland government officials in Dimapur for allegedly paying money to the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) and other rebel groups, The Telegraph reported. They are scheduled to be produced before a special NIA court in Dimpur on Monday.
Agriculture Department Director G Ikuto Zhimomi, the executive engineer of the Rural Development Department, Ketouzo Peseyie, and the Urban Development Department’s Divisional Accounts Officer Sangtemchuba are accused of funding the rebels from 2012 to 2016. “The facts were revealed during the scrutiny of official documents seized during the search operation carried out by the NIA in 13 government offices in Nagaland on January 18 last year,” an unidentified official told the daily.
The matter came to light following the arrest of NSCN (K) cadres S Khetoshe Sumi and Victo Swu in July 2016. The investigators got to know from the documents seized from them that government officials were paying large sums of money to various rebel groups, The Shillong Times reported. These groups are known to run parallel governments and levy taxes on businesses and government officials.
The agency on March 12 summoned former Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang for questioning in connection with this case. In February, the NIA reportedly summoned three officials from Zeliang’s office. The officials’ names had come up during an investigation into the payments made to the NSCN(K) from state funds.
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