Chumoukedima, Nagaland, July 16 (HBTV): The Supreme Court of India has issued notices to the Home and Defence ministries on Monday after hearing a writ petition filed by the Nagaland government challenging the Centre's refusal to sanction the prosecution of Indian army personnel who were involved in the Oting massacre in 2021.      

On 4 December 2021, a unit of 21st Para Special Forces of the Indian Army killed six civilians near the village of Oting in the Mon district of Nagaland, India. Eight more civilians and a soldier were killed in the violence that followed.  

In its plea the Nagaland state government said 30 Army personnel were not persecuted although a First Information Report was filed and a Centre-constituted Special Investigation Team submitted its report on the killings.    

The Nagaland government said that officers who “exceeded limits prescribed under the Act (Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958) can be prosecuted and compensation must be given to victims”.     

The Nagaland state government filed its plea on April 16. It was verified on July 11. On July 15, a fresh hearing was held by a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra. The case has been listed for hearing on September 3.       

On December 4, 2021, a unit of 21st Para Special Forces killed six civilians in an ambush near the village of Oting in Nagaland’s Mon district. The Indian Army later said that the incident was the fallout of an intelligence failure and the personnel mistook the civilians for Naga militants. Eight more civilians and an army man were killed in violence that broke out in the aftermath of the firing.