Imphal, May 29 2009: Following intense pressure, particularly from the Naga Hoho and the Eastern Naga People's Organisation, the NSCN (IM) handed over Hopeson Ningshen, the prime accused in the brutal murder of Kasom Khullen SDO Dr Th Kishan and his two subordinate staff, Y Token and A Rajen, to the Naga Hoho, who in turn handed him over to the CBI at Dimapur yesterday.

Dr Kishan and his two staff, A Rajen and Y Token were found bludgeoned to death in Senapati district on February 17 .

With the State Government earlier registering a case in connection with the murder, the accused was brought to Imphal, where Court proceedings were conducted at the Tulihal airport, even as a large number of people and reporters thronged the airport today.

Hopeson Ningshen was brought to Imphal from Kolkata by a special Indian Air Force plane today.

Following a prayer from the CBI lawyer, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ukhrul remanded the accused to 15 days police custody.

A State police officer talking to newsmen said that the accused was not taken to the city due to security reasons and added that it was due to this aspect that the Court proceedings were held inside the high security Tulihal airport.

Security was also beefed up in and around the airport today.

Soon after the Court's proceedings, Hopeson Ningshen along with the CBI officials flew to Delhi.

Family members of the three victims, members of the JAC formed in connection with the triple murder, public and reporters rushed to the airport as news of the arrival of the prime accused started doing the round.

No one was however allowed to enter the temporary Court set up inside the airport where the prayer of the CBI was heard by the Ukhrul CJM.

Nagaland based newspapers had carried the story of the NSCN (IM) handing over Hopeson Ningshen over to the Naga Hoho in their May 29th issue (Friday).

Though The Sangai Express had a whiff of the story it could not be confirmed as neither the Chairman of the Ceasefire Monitoring Group, Lt Gen (Retd) Mandhatta nor a couple of NSCN (IM) senior leaders confirmed it when contacted yesterday.

In a statement circulated to the Nagaland press yesterday, Naga Hoho said that it with the support of civil societies including the Eastern Naga Peoples' Organisation intervened in the matter to hammer out an amicable solution in the interest of the NSCN (IM) and the GoI in particular and the Naga people in general.

This was necessitated considering the ongoing peace efforts among the different Naga political groups as well as the peace process between the Nagas and the GoI, said the Naga Hoho.

The NSCN (IM) agreed to hand over Hopeson Ningshen over to the Naga Hoho on May 28 after several rounds of discussion, it said and added that the same round of discussion was also held with the GoI.

Naga Hoho said that though it was a painful exercise to intervene in such a stalemate between the two entities involving various factors, the impending break down of the cease fire, political negotiations and a bloody war could be averted.

The Naga Hoho also extended its appreciation to the Government of Nagaland and security personnel for extending their fullest co-operation till the departure of Hopeson Ningshen from Dimapur airport.

Nagaland based newspaper, the Morung Express in its May 29 issue reported, 'According to highly placed sources, the Union Home Ministry had directed the NSCN (IM) to hand over Ningshen and warned that the security forces would be compelled to raid camps of the NSCN (IM) if the directive was not complied with.

The Home Ministry's deadline for handing over the accused expired today (May 28)' .

Morung Express further reported that the IM group initially stood its ground stating that the cadres would be forced to counter if attacked and sensing the imminent breakdown of the ceasefire due to the stalemate, Naga Hoho stepped in and persuaded the NSCN (IM) to the Naga Hoho who in turn handed him to the GoI.

The paper also quoted Ningshen as saying 'I will honour the understanding reached between the Government and the Naga Hoho in the National interest'.

Comment