NEW DELHI - The National Investigation Agency on Friday arrested four Nagaland government officers for diverting funds to militants, specifically the outlawed National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K), Hindustan Times has reported.
The four were arrested under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and Drugs and Cosmetics Act besides a section of Indian Penal Code related to extortion.
“We arrested former tourism director Purakhu Angami, additional director of agriculture V Aza, joint director of irrigation Hutoi Sema and fisheries superintendent Kekhriesatuo Tep in compliance with an order of the home ministry on August 17 last year,” said Jasveer Singh, NIA’s deputy superintendent of police.
They were produced before a special NIA court in Dimapur, Nagaland’s commercial hub, for their police custody.
The NIA investigation into terror funding in Nagaland began after the Assam Rifles caught a senior member of the NSCN-K, identified as Khetoshe Sumi, in Dimapur on July 31 last year.
Sumi was said to be in charge of raising funds for the outfit in Kohima and Dimapur regions through illegal taxation of government departments and had reportedly revealed the existence of a financial nexus.