Staff Reporter
KHONSA, 24 Mar: The gaon burah and gram panchayat chairperson and chief of Old Changyak village (also known as Kolagaon village), besides public leaders and the All Tutsa Welfare Society of Tirap have written to the Tirap deputy commissioner, seeking ex gratia and a government job for a member of late Retto Kakho’s family, and financial assistance to injured Pakngam Lowang, both victims of the 20 March crossfire between the 6th Assam Rifles and NSCN operatives.
In a joint memorandum they submitted to the DC on 21 March, they stated that Kakho was the sole breadwinner of the family of four schoolgoing children, who are now left destitute after the loss of their father.
They appealed for early grant of ex gratia and a government job to the family of Kakho, and for financial assistance to the severely injured Lowang for his medical treatment.
Stating that Lowang has been rendered handicapped after one of his hands was badly damaged due to gunshot, they appealed to the authorities to provide him with a government job.
Giving updates on the issue, Tirap DC Taro Mize on Thursday informed that, though the family of Kakho has been provided Rs 50,000 as immediate relief, injured
Lowang is yet to receive any relief amount as the administration is awaiting the outcome of the magisterial inquiry.
Earlier, the DC had ordered a magisterial inquiry, headed by ADC (HQ) H Kri, into the incident, and directed Kri to submit the report within 15 days.
The DC, however, stated that the magisterial inquiry is currently pending, following the claim made by the NSCN-GPRN in its recent statement.
“Now things have become clumsy after the NSCN recently claimed the deceased as their member. Even magisterial inquiry is pending due to this reason,” added the DC.
The NSCN-GPRN had in a statement on Tuesday come down heavily on the Indian Army for gunning down “two” of its operatives in the incident.
The villagers have, however, said that Kakho was not linked to any group, and that he was killed in the crossfire between the NSCN (IM) and the 6th Assam Rifles.
Attempts to reach the Tirap SP and the DSP for more information regarding the incident failed as neither responded to calls and texts.
