Kohima, Aug. 22: The Nagaland government will institute an inquiry to probe the rebellion by India Reserve Battalion personnel who damaged government property at police complex, Chumukedima, nearly 65km from here, last evening.

The deployment of the 10 India Reserve Battalion of the Nagaland Armed Police to West Bengal’s Maoist-infested West Midnapore district yesterday turned into almost a mutiny as over 200 advance party personnel of the A and F companies of the battalion refused to leave and went on the rampage for nearly six hours.

On Friday, the two companies had left for trouble-torn West Midnapore from Zhadima, the headquarters of the 10 IRB, nearly 20km from Kohima, crammed in a bus, and reached Chumukedima.

Yesterday around 10.30am, they laid down their guns at Chumukedima, expressing displeasure over poor transport facility and inadequate arms. They also demanded a written assurance on financial allowances. As the day wore on, the agitation turned violent as officials at the police complex failed to pacify the angry jawans who demanded to settle the matter only in the presence of the director general of police, K. Kire.

The agitating jawans also claimed that they did not have adequate platoon commanders to lead them with most of them being of the rank of havildars. They started ransacking goods of their convoy and set those ablaze. On getting information, Kire rushed to Chumukedima around 4.30pm accompanied by additional director-general of police (operations) S.N. Achumi.

Kire heard the jawans’ demands and assured them that their allowances would be taken care of.

“But with this kind of weapons, it is like they are sending us to die,” one jawan said.

The jawans, however, rejected his offer of rusty INSAS rifles, saying those were not guns of the kind required for operations and staged a walkout. Later, Kire conceded to their demand and gave them new guns and other sophisticated weapons besides ammunition.

Five buses and two trucks were requisitioned for them.

“It was quite unexpected. We have to do a study and find out where it went wrong,” Kire said, adding the incident was a blot on Nagaland police’s performance.

Inspector-general (headquarters) S.T. Sangtam said the jawans had already left for West Bengal this morning after the state government decided to meet their demands. He said the remaining jawans would soon leave for West Bengal by train.

Naga IRB battalions are high in demand for states facing insurgency and threat from the Maoists.