Nagaland director-general of police T. John Longkumer dismissed allegations of backdoor appointments of constables in Nagaland police by certain quarters recently.

In a statement on Saturday night, Longkumer clarified that none of the constable appointments made in the department are “backdoor appointments”.

He said the appointments, which are made by the respective unit commanders, are in accordance with the established rules, notifications and standing guidelines of the government. He said any attempt by any union/association or individual to delay or stop the training of the newly appointed constables will adversely impact the functioning of the department in particular and the law and order in general.

The state police chief said the training institutes — Nagaland Armed Police Training Centre (NAPTC) and Police Training School (PTS) at police complex in Chumukedima — are professional centres of excellence.

He said the high-level committee constituted by the state government on February 20 to look into the alleged illegal appointments in the police department has submitted its report to the government.

The report is under examination of the government, he added.

The committee was tasked to examine and study the recruitment of all ranks in the police department outside the purview of the Nagaland Public Service Commission.

Chief minister Neiphiu Rio announced the setting up of the committee in the Assembly on February 14 to review the appointment system and submit recommendations for fair recruitments.

On February 10, the Naga Tribal Union, Chümukedima town, said it would not allow training of about 1,200 fresh police recruits, except for 208 candidates who were selected through an open recruitment rally. The training was scheduled to be held from February 14.

The Opposition Naga

People’s Front in the Assembly on February 15 also demanded cancellation of the questionable appointments of the candidates who had bypassed the open recruitment tests.

On Saturday, the union served an ultimatum to the police department to cancel the appointment of 934 candidates “recruited without open recruitment”. In an ultimatum addressed to the DGP, union president Lhousito Khro demanded that the remaining appointments be cancelled except 208 advertised posts and conduct general recruitment for 934, failing which it would take its own course of action.

The union said it would not relent or compromise with options and assertions made by the department unless all the vacancies were advertised.