Mizoram: Police arrests 3 HPC-D Militants in Kolasib district

AIZAWL: Mizoram police’s special operations team from the Criminal Investigation Department (Special Branch) recently captured three militants from the Lalhmingthanga  Sanate faction of the Hmar People’s Convention (Democratic), according to a statement released by the police on Friday.

The three accused were identified as Zarzova (47) and Lalmuankima (34), both from Mauchar village in Aizawl district, and Lalropianga (38) from Thingpuikuol in Manipur's Pherzawl district of Mizoram.

The arrests took place in Saipum village, Kolasib district, Mizoram, for extorting money from non-local traders on a highway between Tuirial Hydroelectric Power Dam near Saipum and Mauchar on March 25.

On Tuesday, Zorzova was found guilty by a fast-track court in Kolasib. He was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh for possessing heroin, according to the statement.

He was arrested in March 2023 for having 324 grams of heroin and was later released on bail because of health problems.

After being arrested on March 25 of this year, Zarzova was taken to court on Tuesday to hear his sentence, after which he was sent to jail.

The HPC-D had previously requested an autonomous district council, following the guidelines of the sixth schedule of the constitution.

This council would be created by separating Hmar-dominated villages in the northeastern part of Mizoram that border Manipur.

However, the H Zosangabera faction of HPC (D) signed a peace agreement with the Mizoram government in April 2018.

This agreement resulted in the establishment of the Sinlung Hills Council (SHC) for the residents of Hmar-dominated villages in the northeastern region of the state.

Another group led by Sanate primarily operates in Assam’s Cachar district.

Earlier, more than 1,700 landowners and their families living alone on National highway-306 and NH-6 from Vairengte in Kolasib district to Sairang in the Aizawl district have threatened to boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha elections if the government doesn’t meet their demands by a certain deadline.

The landowners are asking the state forest department to approve the construction company’s request to widen the national highway between Vairengte and Sairang to four lanes.

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