New Delhi/Guwahati, Nov. 27: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has declared a bounty on 24 "terrorists" of upto Rs 7 lakh as part of the relentless pursuit of those involved in the June 4 ambush in Chandel district of Manipur, where 18 soldiers were killed.
"NIA has declared money reward for any information leading to the arrest of 24 terrorists belonging to various terrorist organisations, namely the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) NSCN (K), Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), involved in the ambush on army personnel in Chandel district of Manipur," an army release said today.
Most of these militant groups have been given shelter by the NSCN (K) in Myanmar.
The cash rewards on the wanted men range from 2 lakh to Rs 7 lakh. The list includes senior leaders of the NSCN (K), including Starson Lamkang, in charge of the outfit's finances and, who, according to the NIA, was also involved in the planning and execution of the Chandel attack.
Lamkang carries the highest reward of Rs 7 lakh.
A third of the 100-odd men on the "wanted" list of the NIA are from Manipur, most of them from Imphal valley. Today's list of 24 people also included a number of valley-based militants. Pictures of these young men dressed in battle fatigues were put up on the NIA's website.
Earlier, the NIA had also declared a bounty on NSCN (K) leaders S.S. Khaplang and Niki Sumi. The agency believes all the cadres are hiding in areas along the India-Myanmar border.
Besides going after the NSCN (K) and Manipur valley militants, the NIA is also chasing the National Democratic Front of Boroland (Songbijit) in a big way. It has arrested several leaders of the outfit in the past few days.
The fact that most of the wanted men are suspected to be in Myanmar has prompted security sources in Assam to express scepticism about the chances of their capture despite the cash bounties.
"In case of militants hiding inside the country, such rewards may help gather information on their whereabouts but in case of militants taking shelter in a foreign country, I don't think such rewards will be of much help. This seems to be part of a routine procedure, which an investigating agency has to follow in case of absconding accused in high-profile cases," a source said.
"It will be difficult to bring them to justice unless their safe havens beyond the border are destroyed or they cross over to India. Security forces have enough information about the location of militant camps in Myanmar but carrying out operations in a foreign country is an entirely different issue," he said.
The source said there were hardly any instances in the past where security agencies had been able to arrest and bring back militants from hideouts in Myanmar.
He, however, said the rewards might help the NIA gather further details about the militants, like names of associates and relatives, photographs and possible hideouts on the Indian side.
"Now since rewards have been announced, it has become more unlikely that they will enter Indian territory," he said.
