Staff Reporter
KHONSA, 2 Apr: The 12 Para Special Forces (PSF) of the Indian Army ‘mistakenly’ shot at two villagers near Khuwantong village in Tirap district on Friday evening.
Sources informed that the incident occurred in the jungle between Hualam village and Khuwatong village at around 6:30 pm.
The injured villagers have been identified as Ramwang Wangsu (21), who was shot on the right elbow, and Nokphua Wangpan (28), who suffered injury to the great toe of his left foot.
Both the victims were reportedly evacuated by the Tirap police to the Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh for further treatment.
The incident reportedly occurred when seven villagers of Chasa village, including Wangsu and Wangpan, were returning after fishing at the Tissa river. The para-commandos had laid an ambush on the way after getting inputs regarding militants’ movement in the area. When the villagers approached, the commandos fired upon them.
The incident angered the villagers, who later confronted the para-commandos at the incident site. The situation was reportedly defused after the intervention of the Tirap police.
In a video which is in circulation after the incident, PSF Major James is seen admitting that the incident was a case of “mistaken identity.”
In an unverified handwritten agreement, Major James took full responsibility for the incident and assured to provide Rs 2 lakhs each to the injured persons as immediate compensation, and government jobs to both, as per their qualifications.
When contacted, Tirap SP Kardak Riba informed that the situation is now normal and the injured are being taken care of by their relatives and the Tirap police.
Meanwhile, the villagers of Chasa have lodged and FIR against the 12 Para Special Forces at the Khonsa police station, seeking action against the officers and the armed personnel responsible for the incident.
It may be recalled that, on 5 December last year, 13 civilians were killed by the Indian Army in a case of mistaken identity at Oting village in Mon district of Nagaland.
The incident sparked widespread anger across Nagaland and the Northeast, with people demanding withdrawal of the AFSPA from the region. To pacify the region, the Centre recently lifted the AFSPA from several areas in Nagaland and Manipur.
