AIZAWL, July 2 ? The Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA) on Thursday denied any involvement in extortion activities in Mizoram?s Champhai town near Myanmar border and alleged that such crimes were organised by a rival faction. Police arrested eight persons last week on charge of intimidating people and extorting money in the name of the ZRA, a Paite rebel outfit.
The outfit, in its statement alleged that those involved in such extortion belonged to the ?Zothon faction? and called the faction ?a bunch of gangsters having their base in Champhai who have come together without the knowledge of Zomi Revolutionary Organisation (ZRO)?.
?ZRA is an armed wing of the ZRO, working for the unificiation of ethnic Mizos and has never been involved in extortion and criminal intimidation of Mizos,? the statement issued by ZRA?s self-styled commandant of 201 battalion T Romeo said.
The eight were now in judicial custody after being remanded by the Champhai District Court last week. The ZRA threatened to take appropriate action against those who ?committed offence in the name of outfit?.