January 15, 2020

Page 1

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXX No. 38

DIMAPUR, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020 Pages 12 ` 5.00

NIA takes over probe into arrested J&K policeman

Aus beat India by 10 wickets in 1st ODI

Iran makes arrests over plane disaster

NATIONAL, PAGE 7

SPORTS, PAGE 12

INTERNATIONAL, PAGE 9

CAA stir: Judge pulls up Delhi police Police behaving as if Jama Masjid was Pakistan NEW DELHI, JAN 14 (PTI): People are out on streets as what should have been said inside Parliament was “not said”, a court observed here on Tuesday as it pulled up the Delhi police after it failed to show any evidence against Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad who has been accused of inciting people during an anti-CAA protest at Jama Masjid on December 20. Asserting that it is one’s constitutional right to protest, the court, which was hearing Azad’s bail plea, also observed that Delhi Police was behaving “as if Jama Masjid was Pakistan”. During the hearing, Additional Public Prosecutor Pankaj Bhatia, appearing for the police, opposed the bail plea, saying Azad had given inflammatory speeches at the premises of Jama Masjid inciting the gathering to carry out violent protests in the area against the amended Citizenship Act. “Inside Parliament,

1 held for looting ATM in Kohima

DIMAPUR, JAN 14 (NPN): Kohima police arrested one person on charges of looting cash from the ATM booth of Axis Bank located at High School Junction opposite Vishal Mart, Kohima on January 12, 2020. According to Kohima Police PRO, on receipt of information regarding the looting of ATM cash, Kohima police immediately swung into action and started investigation. Accordingly, PRO said on January 13, 2020, the investigation team led by SDPO (North) Kohima M Yambemo Humtsoe arrested one Dzuvileto Natso (29), working as a custodian of cash management services (CMS). During investigation, PRO said the stolen cash amounting to Rs.21.14 lakh was recovered from the basement of a residential complex at Razhü Point, where the arrested person was residing. PRO also said that police had earlier recovered an amount of Rs.10,16,500 from the place of occurrence, which was left behind by the accused, making the total cash recovery to an amount of Rs.31,30,500. In this connection, a case was registered with North Police Station and further investigation was on.

This is it!

“Since we’re supposed to remain neutral, we didn’t stop the mob. That’s all.” K Y M C

things which should have been said were not said and that is why people are out on the streets. We have full right to express our views but we cannot destroy our country. We cannot disintegrate it,” Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said. When the judge asked what evidence they had to prove the allegations against Azad, the counsel referred to social media posts of Azad wherein he calls people to come to Jama Masjid and sit in ‘dharna’ (protest). To this, the judge asked, “What is the problem with going to Jama Masjid? What is wrong with ‘dharna’? It is one’s constitutional right to protest. Where is the violence? What is wrong with any of these posts? Have you read the Constitution?” “You are behaving as if Jama Masjid was Pakistan and even if it was Pakistan, you can go there and protest. Pakistan was a part of undivided India,” the judge said. The court asked the investigating officer of the police to put on record all the evidence which showed that Azad was allegedly giving inflammatory speeches at the gathering at Jama

Masjid and any law which showed that the gathering there was unconstitutional. It has put up the matter for further hearing on Wednesday. When Bhatia said that permission was required to hold such protests, the judge remarked, “What permission? Even the Supreme Court has said repeated use of Section 144 (prohibition of gathering of five or more persons, holding of public meetings, and carrying of firearms) of the Indian Penal Code was an abuse of the law....” “I have seen many people and many such cases, where protests happened even outside Parliament. Many of them are chief ministers now. Azad is a budding politician, what is wrong with his protests?” When the judge asked if the police had any video or audio recording showing objectionable content against Azad, the public prosecutor replied that there was no voice recording and no video of the incident and that there were only statements of witnesses in the case. “We just have a drone CCTV footage,” the public

prosecutor said. The judge rebuked the police, saying, “Do you think Delhi police is so backward that it has no tools to record? There must have been some recording...” “Give me details of the last three FIRs registered against Azad. Also show is there are any prohibition on such gathering. Show any law that prohibits this kind of gathering.” The judge also observed that Azad, having a law degree, can also protest inside the courts, and went onto add that he probably needs to research more on Ambedkarite philosophy. “In the colonial era the protests were out on the roads. But your protest can be legal, inside the courts... Azad is in the grassroots level. No one is denying that he is a lawyer and well read and probably an Ambedkarite...” The bail plea claimed that there was no evidence against the allegations made against Azad in FIR and his arrest was illegal. Azad’s outfit had called for a protest march from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar against CAA on December 20, without police permission.

Kerala govt moves NHIDCL asked to ensure slope SC challenging CAA protection on Dmu-Kma highway

NEW DELHI, JAN 14 (PTI): The Kerala government on Monday moved the Supreme Court to challenge the Citizenship Amendment Act and sought to declare it as violative of the principles of equality, freedom and secularism enshrined in the Constitution. The CPI(M)-led Kerala government is the first state government to challenge the act. The Kerala assembly was also the first in the country to pass a resolution against the act. In its suit filed in the apex court, the Kerala government has sought to declare that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 is violative of Articles 14 (Equality before law), 21 (Right to life and personal liberty) and 25 (Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion). It said the CAA is also violative of the basic principle of secularism enshrined in the Constitution. On December 18, the top court had issued a notice to the Centre and sought its response by the second week of January on a batch of pleas challenging the CAA’s legality. The CAA, which was notified on January 10, grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim minorities who migrated to India from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh till December 31, 2014, following persecution over their faith. The apex court fixed January 22 for hearing 59 anti-CAA petitions, including those filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. RJD leader Manoj Jha, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi have also filed pleas against the act.

RN Ravi during the meeting with Nitin Gadkari in Delhi.

DIMAPUR, JAN 14 (NPN): Union minister for Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari has directed National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) to provide appropriate technical solutions in order to ensure adequate slope protection measures along the Dimapur-Kohima fourlane highway. This followed a meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday between Gadkari and Meghalaya and Nagaland governor RN Ravi during which the latter pointed out the concerns relating to slope protection on the highway. In absence of adequate slope protection measures along the highway, the loose soil would lead to landslides, especially during the monsoon season, causing disruption to traffic and even damage to

Imna Along re-elected BJP State president Dmu 4-lane traffic regulation Staff Reporter

DIMAPUR, JAN 14 (NPN): Minister of Higher & Technical Education and Tribal Affairs Temjen Imna Along was reelected as BJP Nagaland president for 2020-23, while Transport, Civil Aviation, Railways & Land Resources, minister P Paiwang Konyak was elected to party’s national council member. The duo was elected by an electoral college comprising State council members in the presence of two BJP national observers – national general secretary Saroj Pandey and Bihar MLA Nitin Nabin – at Hotel Saramati here on Tuesday. The declaration of the result was followed by a press conference wherein BJP State general secretary James Vizo briefed the media about the election procedure and said declaration of the national president would be made within a week or two. He said Along was the ninth State president of the party who would be working as a full-fledged president as Along served as ad hoc State president during the last tenure. Vizo said nominations were re-

ceived from two candidates – Dr Sukhato A Sema and Along – for the post of the BJP State president. And following a consensus within the party, the central leaders nominated Along to the post, he added. The election of the president was conducted as per the process and procedure of the party election system, James said. Meanwhile, Along congratulated Konyak for being elected as the national council member and would now representing Nagaland in Delhi. He also thanked all State, district, mandal and morcha office bearers for reposing their trust on him. He asserted that, as State president of BJP, he would work “consistently, persistently and relentlessly” for the uplift of Naga people in particular and BJP karyakartas in general, besides creating better understanding between the party’s central and State units. He claimed that BJP, like any other political party, was a secular and democratic party having its ethos and principles on nationalism. Mentioning that the new office bearers would assume office soon, Along assured to continue

working relentlessly for development, progress and prosperity of Nagaland. Furthermore, he thanked all ministers, advisers of BJP and elected members for supporting him in all possible ways, adding he looked forward for “good innings”. Referring to the two vacant seats in Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) caused by the recent demise of 60 Pungro Kiphire A/C legislator T Torechu and NLA speaker Vikho O Yhoshu, Along said as both BJP and NDPP were part of the PDA alliance, the principles of coalition would be kept in mind while deciding on fielding candidates for the by-polls to the two vacancies. He stressed that as far as BJP was concerned “we will stick to the PDA alliance and fight the election with that spirit alone”. Along also took to twitter and said: “2019 was a productive year for us, we changed the things that we thought we never could and also we achieved things which we never thought were possible. I thank all the district presidents, council members and all party Karyakartas for imposing faith on me.”

DIMAPUR, JAN 14 (NPN): Dimapur Police Commissionerate has informed that with effect from January 20 only 13 identified designated crossings would be used for crossing over to the other lane and that all other temporary earth fillings would be removed. According to a press note issued by additional deputy commissioner of police/PRO, Dimapur Traffic Police would be implementing the new regulation in a phased manner starting from Purana Bazaar. And all have been requested to abide and comply with the new traffic regulation. According to PRO, 13 areas have selected as proposed median cuts/designated crossings along the four-lane stretch as a followup to the directive from the chief secretary on December 30, 2019 (See table). And this was done after a joint spot verification by Dimapur Traffic Police along with stockholders involved in

Terror funding case: NIA raids in Manipur, Nagaland NEW DELHI, JAN 14 (IANS): National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted searches at five places in Manipur and Nagaland in connection with NSCN (I-M) terror funding case, officials said. NIA conducted the raids in Imphal in Manipur and Dimapur in Nagaland at five premises of close associates and relatives of accused Alemla Jamir, wife of Phungthing Shirmrang alias James Jamir, a member of the Steering Committee of NSCN (I-M), the NIA said. NIA recovered Rs 82.6 lakh in cash, documents of different properties worth Rs 3 crore, incriminating diaries, photographs, digital devices including fifteen smart phones, one hard disk, one pen drive, one memory card and four laptops. “Certain insurgency and extortion-related literature as well as other incriminating

documents have also been recovered during the searches. The searches have also revealed that unaccounted money (in cash) is being used for purchase of properties.” The NIA registered a case on December 20 last year under Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act that relates

to terror funding of NSCN (I-M) wherein unaccounted funds were being taken by the cash courier Alemla from Delhi to Nagaland. Alemla is allegedly working for NSCN (I-M) and was arrested on December 18 last year at Delhi airport while carrying Rs 72

lakh in cash, said NIA. On January 10 this year, an NIA Special Court here had extended the judicial custody of accused Alemla for one month in the instant case. “PhungthingShimrang is absconding while further investigation in the case continues,” the NIA said.

the construction of the fourlane road from new Dhansari bridge, Purana Bazar to Patkai bridge, Chumoukedima on January 2.

Designated spots to be used for road crossings Zion Hospital Junction Toluvi Junction/Hollohon Petrol Pump Hollotoli School/ Naharbari Junction Aoyimti Junction/ D a r o g a p a t h a r Vi l l a g e Gate 3rd Mile/Nagarjan Junction Airport Junction Diphupar Village Gate Central Jail/Agri-Expo Green Park Junction Sovima Village Gate 7th Mile/Sukhovi Junction Chumoukedima 2nd Gate Chumoukedima 1st Gate/ Police Complex

ZVC seeks permission to construct unfinished bridge

DIMAPUR, JAN 14 (NPN): Zukihe village council (ZVC) has urged the PWD(R&B) authority to allow it to take up voluntary construction works on the unfinished RCC bridge over Dhansiri river between Shozukhu village and Zukihe village. In an appeal letter addressed to the executive engineer PWD (R&B), Dimapur Division, the ZVC chairman Shiwoto Kati and secretary Tonizu Zhimo pointed out that bridge construction work began in 2007 and was supposed to be completed within 24 months. However, they lamented that the bridge remains to be completed even after more than 12 years. ZVC maintained that the bridge once completed would facilitate more than 50 villages under Khaghaboto area, Aghunaqa area and other villages. In this regard, the ZVC has appealed to the department to allow the council to take up voluntary construction works on the remaining portion of bridge in the larger interest of public. It may be mentioned that villages located beyond the river continue to suffer as a 340-metre long RCC bridge is yet to be completed. Currently, a temporary hanging bridge is the only mode of communication for those villages. The contract was awarded to M/s PABSCON in 2005.

the highway, Ravi had pointed out. Gadkari took a serious note of the matter and accordingly directed NHIDCL to adopt necessary measures. The governor met the Union minister at his official residence and discussed the required measures for expediting the NHIDCL projects in Nagaland. Ravi thanked Gadkari for positively responding to his request and setting up an exclusive regional office of NHIDCL at Kohima for closely monitoring the various projects under the corporation in the State. Earlier, it was being done from the regional office for the Northeast in Guwahati. Ravi emphasised improved air, surface and digital connectivity for Nagaland. This was stated in a press release by PRO to governor.

Governor extends Sükrünye greetings DIMAPUR, JAN 14 (NPN): Governor of Nagaland and Meghalaya, RN Ravi, has extended greetings to the people of Nagaland especially the Chakhesang community on the occasion of Sükrünye festival. In a message, Ravi stated that Sükrünye was one of the most significant festivals of the Chakhesang community and wished the community prosperity in all spheres of life. He prayed to Almighty to bring about success to the people of the State in general. Governor observed that the rich culture and tradition of the Nagas needed to be preserved and promoted while keeping pace with the modernity. Stating that the festival should be a source for building unity, Ravi called upon everyone to come together in “our common enterprise of building a happy and prosperous Nagaland.” Dy CM: Deputy chief minister, Y Patton, has extended greetings to Chakhesang, Yimchunger and Kuki communities on the occasions of Sükrünye, Tsungkamneo and Mimkut festivals which fall simultaneously on January 15, January 16 and January 17 respectively. In a message, Patton said that festival was a time for introspection of the past to delve deep into one’s culture and traditions, which symbolized their unique identity. He said festival was also a time for forgiveness and reaching out with a renewed love for one another. On the festive occasions, the deputy chief minister along with the BJP legislators extended warm wishes to all the communities as they celebrate their festivals with much fun and fervour.

NSCN (I-M) refutes PIB report on camp bust

DIMAPUR, JAN 14 (NPN): NSCN (I-M) has termed as “a fabricated report” the PIB (Defense Wing) claim that troops of Indian Army had busted a temporary camp of the NSCN (I-M) in Manipur’s Tamenglong district where a cache of arms and ammunition were recovered. NSCN (I-M) through its MIP, refuted the PIB claim, saying no such incident took place at Nungkhao village in Tamenglong district on January 7, 2020. Further, MIP said that the photo with arms and uniforms displayed with the report “depicts nothing of any actual encounter between the troops of Indian Army and Naga Army other than to misguide the public and the Indian Government authorities.” K Y M C


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