Itanagar, Dec 29:
Days after the killing of former Arunachal Pradesh MLA Yumsen Matey that shook the state, the Naga rebel group NSCN/ GPRN (YA) on Thursday claimed the responsibility for the death of the ex-legislator of Khonsa West constituency.
The former Congress lawmaker was shot dead by unknown assailant(s) at Raho village in Tirap district along the Indo-Myanmar border on December 16 last.
A statement issued by NSCN/ GPRN (YA) said, “Yumsen Matey has been awarded capital punishment on 16/12/2023 due to his active involvement in all sorts of anti-NSCN activities.” “He was found guilty of masterminding Anti-NSCN propagandas and slogans in Tirap District of Arunachal Pradesh. He conspired against the NSCN/ GPRN and allowed himself to be the tool of the adversaries. This act is no less than treason to his own people and to the ongoing Naga national struggle,” the statement claimed.
It further said: “For the last few years, the NSCN/GPRN exercised maximum patience by overlooking his misdeeds as to avoid unwanted situation in the interest of the Naga public. However, despite heavy warnings, he continued his illegal activities and went overboard to provoke and compelled the NSCN/GPRN to take this extreme step”.
The outfit, however, added that “this case is not in any way related to the upcoming Arunachal State assembly election as some suspected because the NSCN/ GPRN will never meddle in a petty Indian state politics”.
“Such individuals with anti-Naga characters cannot be tolerated and will not be spared even in the days to come. All his accomplices are sternly warned to desist from anti-NSCN activities or face the same fate.”
It may be mentioned that considering the gravity of the case that too amid the demand for a high-level investigation by the Central probe agencies, the Arunachal Pradesh Government has on December 21 decided to transfer the Yumsen Matey murder case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to bring the culprits involved in the gruesome murder to justice. Subsequently, the State’s Home Department has forwarded the case to MHA for appropriate direction to the NIA in the matter
