Naga militant gets life term in triple murder case

An alleged Naga militant leader, who was convicted for kidnapping and killing three government officials in Manipur in 2009, was today awarded life term by a Delhi court.
Special CBI Judge V K Gupta handed down the jail term to Hopeson Nigshen holding him guilty of abducting Dr Thingnam Kishan Singh and two others and killing them after conspiring with other National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM) militants.
Nigshen, who was also held guilty of looting the deceaseds' belonging, was also asked to pay a fine of Rs 35,000.
Nigshen, who was found guilty on May 30 this year, was the "Lt Col" of NSCN-IM faction's Kiusumong battalion, CBI had told the court.

The case was transferred to Delhi from Manipur on the Supreme Court's direction in May 2010 after CBI had apprehended a threat to Nigshen's life and chances of unrest in the state if he was presented in a Manipur court.
According to CBI, on February 13, 2009, Nigshen and other NSCN-IM militants had abducted Kishan Singh, SDO-cum-BDO of Kasom Khullen in Manipur's Ukhrul district, and five members of his personal staff.

The agency had said that on the next day the militants allegedly let off three of the abducted people Ram Singh Siro, Ramthing Singlai and Kapangkhui Jajo who belonged to the Naga community while killing Kishan Singh, Y Token Singh and A Rajen Sharma.

The bodies were recovered from the banks of Taphao Kuki river near Senapati in Manipur, CBI had said.
The killings had resulted in ethnic tension between the Meities and Nagas and led to a series of bandhs in Manipur. In view of the sensitivity of the killing, the state government transferred the case to CBI which subsequently arrested Nigshen on May 29, 2009.