Aizawl: Mizoram Police has recommended handing over of the dacoity case involving suspended commandant of the 39th battalion of Assam Rifles (AR), Col. Jasjit Singh, to the CBI, a senior police officer said on Monday.
The proposal, initiated at the police headquarters here during the later part of last week, contains a detailed case report, the officer said, adding that Mizoram Police are ill-equipped to handle the probe which has national and international implications.
Lack of resources, including infrastructure to conduct polygraph test, is affecting the investigation by the police's Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The officer said the proposal to hand over the case to the CBI would be sent to home minister R Lalzirliana and then to CM Lal Thanhawla for their approval. Earlier, Lal Thanhawla and Lalzirliana had said the state government was contemplating handing over the case to CBI.
Besides Col. Singh, nine AR personnel were also arrested in the case. They allegedly told interrogators that they had waylaid a vehicle carrying smuggled gold bars on the Aizawl-Lunglei highway on December 14 last year and robbed the driver at gunpoint at the behest of Col. Singh.
. The bars were then hidden in the house of Naik Subedar KC Roy, commander of the group which committed the robbery, and handed over the loot to Colonel Singh the next morning at his official residence in Tuikhuahtlang locality of Aizawl where the latter congratulated them on the success of the 'operation' and told them to keep their mouths shut.
"He also gave them money to ensure their silence with the amount ranging from Rs 70,000 to Rs 1,00,000," the SIT members said. The Assam Rifles jawans arrested in connection with the dacoity were - Naik Subedar K.C. Roy, Havildar Balbir Singh, Havildar L. John Singh, Havildar Ganesh Mahto, Rifleman Ramnunsanga Ralte, Rifleman Pachhunga, Rifleman S. Madhu, Rifleman Lalfakawma Sailo and Havildar Raja Pati. Hav. Pati was arrested last week as he was on leave when the Police arrested the other jawans.
Col. Singh, however, denied the statements of the jawans saying that he was in Silchar on December 14 and sent his jawans to intercept reported cache of arms smuggled from Myanmar and claimed that he did not know anything about the dacoity of gold bars.
Four civilians were also arrested in connection with the case which included former well-known student leader Lalmuanawma Mathipi, a suspected 'mule' or transporter in the gold smuggling racket and Bulaki Chand Baid, a businessman based in Aizawl and tenant of a senior Police official in Aizawl.
Another accused C.S. Thanga, originally from Manipur and former Kuki underground mediator, was given anticipatory bail on May 17 as he was reportedly cooperating with investigators. A member of SIT said Thanga, who admitted that he was acting as the go-between, connecting Mathipi, Baid and Col. Singh before commission of the dacoity, agreed to become the approver for the prosecutors.
While Mathipi and Baid have been released on bail citing health problems, ten personnel Assam Rifles including Col. Singh and one 'associate' of Mathipi were still in judicial custody.