NEW DELHI: Having collected sufficient evidence against rebel Naga outfit NSCN-K chief S S Khaplang and the group’s military commander Niki Sumi, accused of orchestrating an attack on the Indian Army on June 4, the National Investigation Agency on Thursday announced a bounty of Rs 17 lakh on both of them.
Assistance is also being sought from Myanmar, where they are hiding right now, under the mutual legal assistance treaty to locate them and Interpol red corner notices (RCN) will be issued against them soon, sources have told TOI.
While issuing the photographs in its wanted list, NIA said that Rs 7 lakh is being announced for any information about the whereabouts of S S Khaplang and Rs 10 lakh for Niki Sumi. The two leaders are the main strategists for the outfit and planned several attacks on Indian security forces over the years.
“S S Khaplang is head of the NSCN-K group and Niki Sumi is holding the charge of armed wing of said group. They were closely associated with the decision to attack Assam Rifles personnel at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima on March 26 and subsequent string of attacks on armed forces including the attack on 6 Dogra Regiment Convoy in Chandel district of Manipur on June 4 killing 18 Army personnel,” the NIA said in a statement.
Sources say that 75-year-old Khaplang was in a hospital and was later shifted to Taga, a place which is at the junction of India-Myanmar-China border. The investigations against NSCN-K are at an advanced stage and an NIA team may also soon visit Myanmar to gather more information about the militants, who are said to be hiding in the border area of Myanmar and keep moving from one place to another regularly after the Army replied to the June 4 attack and killed several militants.
Meanwhile, intelligence agencies have issued an alert that 48 highly trained members of NSCN-K, led by two leaders identified as Chailai Pansa and Bopa Wangnao, are presently camping in Lahu village of Tirap district in Arunachal Pradesh. Sources say that the militants are there to carry out attacks on Indian forces in retaliation for a recent operation in Noklak in Nagaland, in which Indian Army killed seven militants of the outfit.
The fresh threat and NIA reward on NSCN-K leaders comes at a time when a section in the government and PMO is looking at opening a channel of communication with NSCN-K to bring together disparate Naga groups in order to give final shape to the Naga Peace Accord. The government had recently signed a framework agreement on the accord with Isak-Muivah faction of the NSCN.
According to reports, Centre’s interlocutor on Naga peace talks R N Ravi is trying to give final shape by bringing NSCN-K on board.
The ministry of home affairs, however, is not in favour of talks with NSCN-K and wants an all-out offensive against the outfit. (Agencies)