Nagaland forms one-man probe panel into July 16 incident

The Nagaland government today constituted a one-member inquiry commission to probe the July 16 Wuzu firing incident in Phek district in which two students were killed.
Veprasa Nyekha, a retired District and Sessions Judge, has been entrusted with the Commission called "Wuzu Firing Incident Inquiry Commission" to inquire into the causes and circumstances leading to the casualties.
"The government is satisfied that the Wuzu firing incident is a definite matter of public importance involving law and order in the state and the matter requires a detailed inquiry into the causes and circumstances leading to the incident and also to find out the persons responsible," a government notification issued here today said.

The Commission has been entrusted to inquire with respect to the causes and the source of firing which led to the death of two minor children and injury to one woman.
It would also inquire into the person(s) responsible for the firing and whether the incident could have been avoided and asked to submit its report to the state government within one month, the notification said.
Three days after the firing, the state government had on July 19 said it will investigate the killing of two students.

While condoling the deaths, Chief Minister T R Zeliang had earlier said, "An Inquiry panel is being set up to go into details of the incident" and urged upon all concerned to desist from firing in public places to avoid innocent casualties.

The two students were killed in cross firing between Assam Rifles and suspected NSCN(K) militants at Wuzu in Phek district on July 16 when the para-military personnel were bringing bodies of two NSCN(K) militants from an encounter spot at Avangkhu, an official spokesman said after the incident.
A group of villagers stopped the paramilitary convoy, and demanded that the body of one belonging to Phor hamlet in the area be handed over to them. During interaction between forces and villagers, suspected NSCN(K) militants fired which was retaliated by the Assam Rifles, the spokesman said.