Imphal, January 13: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has urged the NSCN (IM) to hand over the main accused in the killing of Lungnila Elizabeth, James Kuki alias Letsei Haokip alias Simboi to the Ceasefire Monitoring Cell so that he may be handed over to the Government of Manipur, disclosed a well placed source.

However when The Sangai Express contacted the convenor of the Ceasefire Monitoring Cell of the NSCN (IM), Phungthing Shimrang this evening he said that the accused is yet to be handed over to the Cell adding that neither the Government of India nor the Manipur Government have approached them to hand over James Kuki.

A high ranking police official on condition of anonymity informed The Sangai Express that the State DGP AK Parashar tried to contact the Chairman of the Ceasefire Monitoring Cell, Lt General (Retd) RV Kulkarni but could not get through the line.

AK Parashar is also set to have a talk with his Nagaland counterpart to secure the hand over of the main accused to the State Government, said the source.

Newmai News Network adds from Dimapur: Till date no social organizations, the Nagaland Government and even the Cease-Fire Monitoring Group have officially approached the NSCN-IM regarding the arrest of James Kuki, main accused in the kidnapping and the subsequent murder of Lungnila Elizabeth, daughter of GAD Minister Francis Ngajokpa, according to a source from the NSCN-IM�s Ministry of Information and Publicity (MIP).

The source however said that there had been various apex social organization�s leaders coming to discuss the matter with the outfit�s top brass.

The outfit�s MIP source further said that the NSCN-IM was aware of the Manipur Government asking for handing over of James Kuki but they have not received anything officially from any quarter in this regard.

In the event of the request from any Government whether from the Nagaland Govt.or from the Cease-Fire Monitoring Group of India to hand over James Kuki, the NSCN-IM will take the decision at the outfit�s Tribunal Court and Cabinet level.