Kohima, Oct 7 (NNN): Regarding the torching of a Manipur oil tanker in Nagaland on Tuesday, the Nagaland police clarified that it was the driver of the vehicle to had committed the crime to cover-up his misdeed of stealing the fuel.
According to newspapers based in Nagaland quoting police, the driver of the Imphal bound oil tanker identified as one Ranjit Gathana s/o one Dil Bahadur of Irang village part-2 in Sardar Hills, Manipur had disposed atleast 8,000 liters of oil at Khatkhati in Assam from the 12,000 liters of fuel from the tanker.
According to the Nagaland based dailies, Ranjit Gathana poured kerosene into the truck cabin and the rear tyres before he lit the fire. At that time there was only 4000 liters of fuel in the tanker, the police said. “No underground activists or any local villagers in the vicinity are involved,” the Nagaland police said. Driver Ranjit Gathana had confessed this information to the police. However, no information the whereabout of the driver is not mentioned.
Mention may be made that the oil tanker heading for Imphal was set on fire between Zakhama and Viswema in Nagaland on Tuesday morning. The vehicle`s registration number is MN 03-2071.
This has been latest incident of torching Manipur bound vehicle in Nagaland even as the prolonged economic blockade called by Naga civil society had been called off.