KOHIMA : Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio discussed the issue of detention of 45 Naga youth in the Mohali Jail, Punjab with Advocate General, Nagaland, K.N. Balgopal, in New Delhi yesterday.

The Chief Minister directed the Advocate General to personally intervene in the case and asked him to depute his team to take urgent necessary actions for the release of the innocent Naga youths who are falsely implicated in this case.

Rio also directed the Resident Commissioner in charge of Nagaland House, New Delhi to be in touch with the families of the innocent Naga youth and extend all necessary help required for them.

The parents/relatives of the Naga youth have been requested to contact the Government of Nagaland to provide all information and cooperation for getting these innocent Naga Youths released.

These Naga youths were apprehended in Chandigarh at midnight of May 14, accused of duping American citizens by posing as agents of major corporations such as Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, etc.

Helping Hands Nagaland chapter has appealed to the state government to intervene and rescue Naga youths lodged in Punjab jails. In a press note, HH Nagaland president Andrew Ahoto Sema said that the arrest and detention of more than 40 youths from Nagaland in Punjab was just one instance among many such occurrences that have gone either unnoticed or completely ignored by everyone, including the state government.

The arrested youths were employed at call centres where they impersonated customer service representatives from renowned companies.

Usually, the modus operandi of these fake call centres would primarily target unsuspecting American citizens, whom they deceive into providing personal and financial information using various means.