We regret loss of life, monitoring situation: Shah tells LS on Nagaland

While addressing the Lok Sabha, Shah said the home ministry has been following the incident and is monitoring the developments closely. It is in constant touch with the Nagaland government over the deaths.

We regret loss of lives, monitoring situation: Shah tells LS on Nagaland civilian deaths

Shah addresses Parliament on Nagaland civilian deaths(YouTube/Sansad TV)

Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday expressed deep regret over the deaths of as many as 14 civilians over the weekend in the Mon district of Nagaland in a botched counter-insurgency operation by the Indian Army and the violence thereafter.

While addressing the Lok Sabha, Shah said the home ministry has been following the incident and is monitoring the developments closely. Shah said a special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to probe the incident and it will submit its report in a month’s time.

The home minister informed the Lok Sabha that it was a case of mistaken identity and that the Indian Army acted on the basis of information about the movement of extremists in the Oting area of Mon.

“On that basis, 21 commandos laid an ambush in the suspected area. As a vehicle reached there, it was signalled to stop but it started speeding away. On suspicion the vehicle was carrying extremists, the personnel fired at it killing 6 of 8 people,” Shah said.

"It was later found to be a case of mistaken identity," Shah added.

Seven out of the 14 people killed in the Mon district were daily wage labourers. Following the deaths of the coal mine workers, angry villagers reached the spot and set alight two vehicles of the army after which security personnel fired a few more rounds killing more civilians.

Shah said one soldier has died and many others were injured. "Security forces had to resort to firing for self-defence and to disperse the crowd. This caused the death of 7 more civilians and some others were injured. Local administration and the police tried to bring the situation to normalcy," he said while giving details of the incident.

The current situation is tense but under control. “An FIR has been registered and keeping the seriousness of the incident in mind, the probe has been handed over to State Crime Police Station. The SIT has been constituted and has been directed to complete the probe within a month," the home minister said.

The Indian Army has also set up a court of inquiry into the killings of the civilians and said the probe will be headed by a major general, people familiar with the developments told HT.

Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has also ordered a high-level probe into the killings of civilians by security forces.

The incident led to widespread criticism of the government from the opposition, the Nagaland chief minister as well as from the state’s citizens. Demonstrations and candlelight vigils were held condemning the deaths and the demand to repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act has grown in the aftermath of the incident.