Photo Courtesy: nenow
Kohima: Nagaland Police added 561 vehicles to its fleet in the department's largest ever motor transport acquisition. The massive rollout occurred on July 27 at the Nagaland Police Complex in Chumoukedima. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio flagged off the new transport, which includes 12 mobile forensic laboratory vans, 64 motorcycles, buses, water tankers, and various SUVs like Scorpios and Innovas. The purchase cost roughly Rs 150 crore, funded by Union government modernization schemes. This replaces up to 40 percent of an aging fleet that previously saw only Rs 4 to 6 crore in annual funding.
The department is shifting focus. It must move from armed counter-insurgency to community-centered, investigative policing. Chief Minister Rio said the new fleet acts as "instruments of public service, symbol of our commitment to modern governance and investigation, in the safety and security of every citizen in our state."
Forensic capacity remains a bottleneck. ADGP Sandeep M Tamgadge noted that the state currently relies on a single laboratory in Dimapur. The 12 new mobile vans aim to speed up crime scene analysis across 17 districts. Previously, forensic teams could take an entire day to reach remote areas like Kiphire. DGP Rupin Sharma confirmed the state cabinet is separating the Forensic Science Directorate from the police and filling five new technical posts.
Meanwhile, federal authorities stepped in on the July 13 Khopanala explosion. The IED blast killed one Assam Rifles soldier and injured four others. While state police initially handled the case, the Ministry of Home Affairs officially transferred the probe to the National Investigation Agency on July 27. Officials cited the gravity of the crime and its national security implications under the NIA Act. Nagaland Police stated they will coordinate with the NIA to hand over the investigation.
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