Another NSCN (IM) cadre held for former Arunachal MP murder

IMPHAL: A self-styled 'major' of NSCN (IM) who was wanted by the CBI in connection with the assassination of former Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh Wangcha Rajkumar in 2007 has been arrested from Manipur's Ukhrul district.

Personnel of 17 Assam Rifles have apprehended Reishang Luikham alias L Rex, 40, from Ngaimu village on June 11 under the supervision of NM Singh, senior SP, CBI (special crime branch) Kolkata. In January this year another cadre of the same outfit was also pulled up for the same case. Luikham was flown to Imphal on June 12, where he was remanded in police custody and later sent to judicial custody by a court till another court granted a 'transit remand' enabling the CBI to take him to Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal MP Rajkumar was gunned down by two unknown armed men while he was playing badminton at Deomali multipurpose community hall in AP on December 23, 2007. tnn Another badminton player, Lomhang Kanglom also sustained bullet injury on his leg in the attack. The CBI, in its probe, established that NSCN (IM) cadres carried out the assassination of Rajkumar.

It also established that Luikham , then self-styled captain of the outfit operating as 'town commander' of Konsa town in the Nocte tribal area of AP's Tirap district , was one of the masterminds of the assassination, said CBI dossiers.

On September 8 last year, the CBI filed a charge sheet against Luikham under section 120-B/302/307 IPC read with section 25 (1A) (1B) and 27 (2) (3) Arms Act , 1959 and section 16 and 18 of the unlawful activities (prevention) Act 1967, keeping further investigation open under section 178 (8) of the CrPC.

Sources said the late MP strongly supported the army action to drive out rebels operating in AP from across the state. He was also a supporter of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.

In connection with the case, the CBI has already pulled up five cadres of the Naga rebel outfit including one Kaping Luikham of Kongkhan village from Imphal in January this year.

Following an application filed by deputy SP CBI Arijit De who is also the investigation officer of the case with a prayer to allow the accused to bring him - in AP in connection with the current FIR case, the judicial magistrate first class, Ukhrul asked the SP Cental Jail , Sajiwa in Imphal to hand over the accused to the CBI officer.

The court also ruled that the accused should be produced before it by July 11.

On Wednesday Luikham was flown in a special security flight to Dribugarh via Kolkata from which he would be flown in a military helicopter to Tezu.