Clarification regarding NIA summon of Leader of Opposition (Nagaland)

Kohima, 21st March 2018:

The Office of the Leader of Opposition is constrained to issue this clarification to put speculations related to NIA Summon of Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister, TR Zeliang to rest and to set the record straight for all times.

1. Zeliang was summoned under section 160 CrPC by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), asking him to appear at its HQ, CGO Complex, New Delhi on March 13 at 1000 hrs served through Fax no 0370-2244042 belonging to the Chief Minister’s Office 15 minutes past midnight on March 12, after which a second letter was again served through the same Fax no at 10:05 am the same day, the content of which was similar to the first. Both copies were released to the Media on the same day, March 12.

2. On March 12, Zeliang wrote to the NIA expressing his inability to appear at such a short notice and also because of the Assembly Session where he is required to attend as the Leader of Opposition. The same day, another Summon letter was received by Zeliang via his personal email including Whatsapp seeking his attendance at NIA HQ, New Delhi on March 17. Despite verbal request made telephonically before the NIA Investigation Officer that Zeliang had demitted his post as Chief Minister, a copy of the Summon was served through Fax no 0370-2244042 belonging to the Chief Minister’s Office once again. In reference to the notice for appearance on March 17, Zeliang wrote to NIA on March 16 expressing his failure to make himself available because of important works while adding that he would prefer to attend after the Assembly Session ended. The same was telephonically discussed with the NIA Investigating Officer.

3. Distorting facts does not change the story and linking Zeliang to ‘terror funding’ by some News reporters buttressing their stories with fake inputs claiming to have been obtained from NIA and Government sources is highly objectionable and puts journalism ethics to shame. Media reports claiming to have confirmation of documentary evidence indicating the involvement of former Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang in what has been termed as ‘terror funding’ is nothing but pure exaggeration and dim-witted imagination at its heights.

4. News reports appearing in Assam and Nagaland Media, or anywhere else for that matter, linking Zeliang to ‘terror funding’ are neither confirmed by NIA nor by Zeliang or his Office but were mere copy-paste from reports published on hearsay. The news carried by Deccan Chronicle reported by one Manoj Anand is no less from the others and is totally wrong and misleading. Zeliang had personally written for deferment of the date for his cross examination because of the Assembly Session which ends only on 26th March and there was no written reply to NIA through any advocate at any point of time.

5. What cannot be ruled out is the fact that some political virus with self vested interest are trying to flare up the issue. NIA will never provide such false information to any Media house or reporters and the recent fake reports in the Media is nothing but a re-make of allegations raised against Zeliang in 2015 when he was alleged of laundering 78 Crores in Singapore and Hongkong Banks. The general public had every right to believe such false news till it was confirmed from the concern Banks.

6. Such News reports are the brainchild of people with destructive mindset and composing false news reports including publication of unconfirmed news reports without authentication must be avoided at all cost.

Issued by:
Information & Publicity Wing,
Office of the Leader of Opposition,
Nagaland