The Supreme Court of India has issued notices to the central government and Ministry of Defence regarding the prosecution of army personnel involved in the December 2021 killings in Nagaland's Mon district.
On July 15, the court responded to a petition filed by the Nagaland government challenging the denial of permission to prosecute the soldiers accused in the incident.
In December 2021, 13 civilians were killed in Mon district when Indian army personnel opened fire. Seven more civilians died in subsequent clashes. The army initially claimed the civilians were armed, which local residents denied.
Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to #PM Modi's govt & the Ministry of Defence regarding the 2021 Nagaland Mon killings, where 13 #civilians were tragically killed in botched #army operation.
— SAMAA TV (@SAMAATV) July 18, 2024
Centre has declined to prosecute 30 Indian Army personnel accused. #SamaaTV pic.twitter.com/XMkKByAMjp
Despite evidence against 30 soldiers, police initially refused to file a case. Families of the victims had to wait a year for an FIR to be registered, but implementation has not occurred even after three years.
In July 2022, legal action against the accused soldiers was halted following petitions filed by their wives, who also sought to have the FIR quashed in the Supreme Court.
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The central government refused permission to prosecute the accused soldiers without investigation in February 2023.
The Nagaland government's petition challenges this denial of prosecution. The next hearing is scheduled for September.
