Politician-militant nexus behind Arunachal ex-MP's murder

Guwahati, Dec 26 (UNI) The murder of former Arunachal MP Wangcha Rajkumar on Sunday by suspected NSCN(IM) militants has unearthed a possible nexus between politicians and insurgents in the state.

The Arunachal Pradesh government has already decided to go for a CBI enquiry into the killing after a high-level meeting yesterday.

Mr Rajkumar was shot dead by unknown assailants at a private club in Deomali in Arunachal Pradesh's Tirap district on Sunday night.

The killers had pumped 17 bullets into his body.

The former MP and MLA was serving as an advisor to Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu.

Though official sources refused to confirm, but indications were there that the murder was not the result of only political rivalry.

The insurgent groups, particularly the NSCN(IM), were suspected to be directly involved in the killing.

Arunachal MP K Rijiju, in his condolence message, had also mentioned of the 'unholy nexus', which the ''politicians maintain with the anti-social forces'' and that ''Rajkumar was among those who had raised their voices'' against it.

Sources in Tirap district said the NSCN(IM) was active in Tirap and Changlang district and Rajkumar had been receiving threatening calls from the outfit before he was murdered, asking him to tow their line. Deomali police yesterday arrested two suspected NSCN(IM) activists from the area and flew them to the state capital Itanagar, apprehending pressure to release the suspects.

Identified as MB Singh alias Cobra and Changen Akhom, these two are suspected to be the NSCN(IM)'s main operatives in Tirap and Changlang districts.

Singh, originally hailing from Bihar, had also reportedly amassed massive wealth in less than two years through suspicious sources of income.

Shaken by the murder of Rajkumar, the state government is likely to go on the offensive against the insurgents, who have for long made the dense forests of the state a safe haven.

UNI