KOHIMA, 2 Mar: The findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up to probe the killing of 14 civilians by army para-commandos in December last year in Nagaland can be made public once the Centre gives permission to prosecute the culprits, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said on Wednesday.
Following the killings in Oting area of Mon district in a botched up operation and its aftermath, the state government set up the SIT and asked it to submit its report within 30 days that ended on January 5. Demands have been raised from various quarters to make the probe report public.
The state government has received the report of the investigation team, the chief minister said on the sidelines of an official programme here.
The SIT will now file a case for prosecution of the accused persons in the incident. It will require the permission of the Government of India and once it is done, the investigation report will be in public domain, Rio said.
Fourteen people, including seven coal mine workers, were killed on December 4 and 5 in three consecutive episodes of firing by security forces, the first of which has been claimed to be a case of mistaken identity. (PTI)