Guwahati, Oct. 13: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today arrested three serving officials and one retired employee of the Nagaland government for their alleged role in the diversion of government funds to the coffers of the banned National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang).

According to a source, the arrested officials are the ex-director of the tourism department, Purakhu Angami, additional director of the agriculture department, V. Aza, the joint director of the irrigation department, Hutoi Sema, and the superintendent-cum-cashier of fisheries department, Kekhriesatuo Tep. "They were arrested from Dimapur today and produced before a special NIA court there," the source said.

The court remanded them in the custody of the NIA for three days. He said the officers were arrested after the NIA gathered sufficient evidence against them of funnelling public money to the coffers of the NSCN (K).

The deputy superintendent of police (NIA), Jasveer Singh, the investigating officer, has officially communicated the news of today's arrests to the chief secretary of Nagaland, Pankaj Kumar, and requested him to initiate departmental action against them.

The accused officers were arrested in NIA case number RC-01/2016 registered at its branch office here under Section 384 of the IPC and Sections 10, 13, 17 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, among others.

This is the second instance of arrest of Nagaland government officials for providing public money to the NSCN (K).

On April 26 this year, the NIA had arrested three Nagaland government officials - the joint director of the social welfare department, Tulula Pongen, joint director of the land resources department, Alienba Pangjung Jamir, and cashier of land resources department, K. Lashito Shequi - from Kohima on similar charges in the same case.

This case (number RC-01/2016) was registered following the arrest of an NSCN (K) cadre, S. Khetoshe Sumi, in Dimapur on July 31 last year. Incriminating documents related to extortion and illegal tax collection by the outfit from individuals and organisations in Dimapur and Kohima seized from him revealed that extortion/illegal tax collection was being carried out by the cadres under the directions of "brigadier" Isac Sumi and other leaders. A subsequent probe by the NIA revealed that many government departments of Nagaland regularly paid money to rebels.