New Delhi, Nov. 17: Upset by the killing of a former director-general of police in Nagaland by the S.S. Khaplang-led National Socialist Council of Nagaland (K), the Union home ministry might reconsider the ceasefire agreement with the group.

What has upset the government the most is that after killing former DGP Hesso Mao at his residence on November 8, the NSCN (K) went on to publicly claim responsibility.

It justified the murder, calling it “capital punishment” for an event that took place in 2000, when there was no ceasefire in place.

The militant group even threatened Mao’s relatives, “children” and “great grandchildren”.

The chief minister of Nagaland convened a meeting on November 14 in Kohima, attended by the state’s home minister, chief secretary, DGP, home commissioner and the chairman of the Ceasefire Supervisory Board, Lt Gen. (retd) R.V. Kulkarni. The chief minister wanted Gen. Kulkarni to address this gross violation of ceasefire.

It was brought to the attention of the Union home ministry that this was the second instance of the NSCN (K) planning criminal action against an individual and publicly claiming responsibility.

Earlier, on July 5 this year, the militant group killed one Tinumeren Ao at Mokokchung and is believed to be protecting the killers. Later that month, the NSCN (K) also publicised a hit-list of six Ao Nagas it intended to target.

The Union home ministry was also made aware that the NSCN (K) had publicly pronounced in newspapers its support for the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) and claimed to be sheltering its cadre. A detailed report was submitted to the Centre on the NSCN (K)’s links with Ulfa, with details of camps in which cadre of the Assam outfit were being sheltered. These camps are in the Konyak-inhabited areas of Nagaland as well as Haukyat and Shwelo in Myanmar.

The Centre was also informed that the NSCN (K) had threatened to kill (once again calling it “capital punishment”) a police officer heading the team investigating bogus appointments of teachers in the Nagaland education department and false pension cases.

All this is happening while some representatives of the NSCN (K) are calling for breaking the ceasefire and peace talks with the dominant Isak-Muivah group, the NSCN (I-M), and openly describing them as “terrorists”.

It has been noted that “capital punishment” awarded to Mao is also a “message” to all government functionaries. That is why there is a proposal before the Union home ministry to conduct an immediate review of the ceasefire with the group.