In a major operation, joint team of Kohima Police and National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested three NDFB (S) militants from Kohima on January 14. The operation was carried out under the personal supervision of SSP Kohima, and the team led by SDPO Kohima comprising DEF Kohima personnel and Mobile Unit.
When contacted Police sources confirmed that the joint team arrested three NDFB(S) functionaries– ‘ss’ commander of 3rd battalion, Ajoi Basumatary alias B Buhum (32); ‘ss’ forest secretary, Dilip Basumatary alias Bir Baisa (40) and ‘ss’ dy. co 14th battalion, Khamrei Basumatary alias udla (35).
In a press note on Thursday, NIA said, “it was under his (Ajoi) direction and leadership that recent killings took place in Sonitpur district of Assam on 23.12.2014, in which, 36 persons including women and children were killed and 6 persons were injured.”
NIA further said that Dilip was a dreaded terrorist who, responsible for co-ordinating activities of NDFB (S) in the Reserved Forest areas of Assam along the Indo-Bhutan, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh border. He was actively involved in the conspiracy behind recent killings in Assam, the statement said. The third militant, Khamrei was alleged to be “one of the leaders involved in the recent killings in Kokrajhar district in which 20 persons were killed and several injured”, NIA said.
NIA also informed that Khamrei was “involved in incident of killings of Baksa district of Assam in May, 2014”. The operation led to recovery of seven mobile phones, two copies of Martyr Speech of interim president I.K Songbijit delivered on the occasion of NDFB Martyr’s day, one diary containing details of cash transactions.
NIA said the three accused were brought to Guwahati where they will be produced in a special NIA court.
Meanwhile, SDPO & PRO Kohima police, Atu Zumvü said preliminary investigation revealed that the three had sneaked in to Kohima via Dimapur, following the December bloodbath in Assam, as the Army, Assam police and other agencies were in hot pursuit to nab them.
He said that the cadres were planning to escape to Myanmar to evade all Indian State and Federal security and Police agencies.
PRO said that Khamrei was residing in Kohima for about six years and had been providing shelter to the NDFB cadres “coming or passing through Kohima”.
Meanwhile, official sources said that the Agency has started probing into the killings as well as all terror links of the NDFB(S) with other Northeast insurgent groups.
CM lauds Police team
Chief minister T.R. Zeliang has conveyed deep appreciation to the Nagaland Police for their swift action in apprehending three NDFB(S) cadres. In a press release issued through its principal secretary, Temjen Toy, Zelaing said “the swift action based on sharing of inputs with other Agencies amply demonstrated the capabilities of our police personnel.”
CM has requested the DGP to personally convey his appreciation to the officers and jawans who were part of the operation. Zeliang said he was confident that Nagaland Police would continue to excel and show that they are ‘second to none’.
Thursday, February 19, 2026