Lok Sabha MP from Nagaland S Supongmeren Jamir on Thursday said the allegation that the firearm licence held by the accused in the Guwahati shooting was issued by the Nagaland government must be verified before the State is held responsible.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of an event in Kohima, Jamir was responding to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s reported claim that the licence for the firearm allegedly used in the October 26 shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn was issued by Nagaland and not Assam.
“Until and unless it is authenticated, the Chief Minister (of Assam) is not supposed to blame the counterpart State Government,” Jamir said.
He said the Nagaland government should immediately respond to the allegation and verify the relevant documents through appropriate channels. However, he noted that, as the matter involved two state governments, it should be addressed through their respective government machinery.
The shooting in Guwahati left five people dead and one injured. The accused, Ghanakanta Gogoi, was arrested following the incident, in which a .32-bore pistol was allegedly used.
RECAP | Assam CM questions circumstances of Nagaland- issued gun licence in Guwahati shooting
The shooting reportedly followed a dispute between the hotel’s owners and its leaseholder over the management of the property. Assam Police has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the incident.
Jamir’s remarks come a day after Sarma called for an examination of the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the firearm licence.
