Centre extends AFSPA in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh for 6 months

Areas under 16 police stations in 4 districts of Nagaland marked as 'disturbed area'

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ ITDC NEWS The Centre has extended the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in select districts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for six months.

According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the AFSPA has been extended in nine districts of Nagaland including Dimapur, Niuland, Chumoukedima, Mon, Kiphire, Noklak, Phek, Peren and Zunheboto from October 1 to March 30 next year. The government of India has also extended AFSPA in the areas falling within the jurisdiction of 16 police stations in four districts of Nagaland, including Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng and Wokha.

In Arunachal Pradesh, the AFSPA has been extended in three districts—Tirap, Changlang and Longding. The MHA declared these districts and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of Namsai and Mahadevpur police stations as “disturbed area”.

While Nagaland has a total 16 district, Arunachal Pradesh has 26.

The Armed Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 empowers security forces to conduct operations and arrest anyone without any prior warrant besides giving immunity from arrest and prosecution to the security forces if they shoot someone dead.

The reduction of jurisdiction of AFSPA came in April last following the recommendation of a high-level committee constituted to examine the possibility of lifting of the AFSPA after killing of 14 civilians by the Army in Nagaland's Mon district in December 2021 in a case of "mistaken identity".