NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has issued a notice regarding a plea by the Nagaland government challenging the Centre’s refusal to grant permission to prosecute 30 Indian Army personnel involved in the death of 13 civilians during an operation in Mon district of the state in 2021.
A three-judge bench, headed by chief justice of India DY Chandrachud and comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, has given the Centre six weeks to file its response.
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The Nagaland government argued before the bench that the Centre denied sanction for prosecution under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), despite sufficient evidence against the accused Army officials.
The killings in Mon district of Nagaland occurred on December 4, 2021, when an Army team allegedly fired at a pickup truck carrying miners at Oting village in Eastern Nagaland, mistaking them for militants.
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This action resulted in the death of six civilians. The situation escalated as security forces reportedly opened fire again amidst ensuing violence, leading to the deaths of eight more civilians.
Following the tragic event, the Nagaland assembly held a special session where it unanimously resolved to demand the repeal of AFSPA from Nagaland.
Earlier, the central government denied sanction for the prosecution of all 30 accused security personnel involved in the killing of civilians at Oting village in Mon district of Nagaland on December 05, 2021.