NSCN cadre arrested in Jorhat

A joint team of Jorhat Police and special crime branch of the CBI have arrested a NSCN-IM rebel in connection with killing of former Arunachal MP Wangcha Rajkumar.

Hormi Muivah, the self-styled 'brigadier'of the NSCN-IM faction, was arrested along with two others from Jorhat district of Assam on August 20 by a CBI team which had been tipped off by central security agencies, CBI joint director (NE Region) R P Aggarwal said in a release today.

Hormi hails from Manipur and presently was in charge of Changlang district and his two other accomplishes were identified as Bibon Agam and Salak Walling.

The trio were travelling in a car when they were arrested from the heart of the Jorhat town, the release said.

Police recovered one 6 mm pistol, 55 live cartridges and cash from their possession.

The accused, who is said to be close to the faction's 'general secretary' Thuingaleng Muviah, was wanted for the murder of Wangcha Rajkumar, who was shot dead on December 23, 2007.

A CBI team, camping in Jorhat since August 20, sought the help of local police to arrest the militant leader.

The CBI had been tipped off by intelligence agencies that the Hormi would be travelling to Jorhat.

Hormi was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jorhat, who sent him to five days of transit remand of CBI.

The investigations carried out by the CBI indicated that NSCN-IM cadres had allegedly assassinated Rajkumar and Hormi was the main conspirator in the murder.

He was allegedly evading arrest since CBI took up the case for investigation from Deomali police station in Tirap district, Aggarwal said.