Photo Courtesy: nenews
Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio officially flagged off 561 new police vehicles on July 27 at the Police Complex in Chumoukedima. This fleet represents the largest motor transport acquisition in the department history. It includes 12 Mobile Forensic Laboratory Vans, 64 motorcycles, and various models like Jimnys, Vitaras, Scorpios, Boleros, and Innovas. The project cost roughly Rs 81.65 crore for the vehicles alone, part of a broader Rs 150 crore modernization push. These new assets will replace 35 to 40 per cent of the department aging fleet.
The procurement falls under the Assistance to States and Union Territories for Modernisation of Police 2025-26 and Modernisation of Forensic Capacities 2024-25 schemes. DGP Rupin Sharma and ADGP Sandeep M Tamgadge attended the event. Rio stated, "Our Nagaland Police must continue its transition from predominantly armed policing to professional, investigation-oriented, and community-centered policing."
For years, Nagaland focused on armed counter-insurgency. Now, it must pivot. Investigative tools were not the focus previously. The 12 new forensic vans are meant to fix critical gaps in evidence collection. Currently, the state operates only one forensic science laboratory in Dimapur. This causes massive delays in crime scene processing. Officials plan to deploy the vans to high-crime areas first. The cabinet recently approved separating the Forensic Science Directorate from the police. The state is also hiring five technical experts to staff the labs.
DGP Sharma also addressed the July 13 IED blast that killed an Assam Rifles soldier. He clarified that the state has requested an NIA takeover, but the Ministry of Home Affairs has not yet confirmed the handover. He told reporters, "We are following several leads, so it is better that we do not share the details at this stage."
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