NPP's Jarpum Gamlin alleges police raids in Arunachal villages aimed at intimidating law-abiding citizens

Itanagar, May 4, 2019:

The Intellectual Support Group under the Liromoba Assembly Constituency in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh has alleged police highhandedness which is being seen as a politically motivated vendetta by the ruling party in the state.

In a representation to the Director General of Police citing ‘police excess’, the Intellectual Support Group representing five circles—Yomcha, Liromoba, Darak, Lower Kamba and Upper Kamba alleged that the police broke laid down procedures while carrying out midnight raids in two villages.

On the intervening night of May 1-2, at least a dozen masked police personnel raided and searched several houses at Laggi Gamlin village without identifying themselves and without showing Search Warrant. The all-male police team also forcibly entered and searched houses where women were sleeping.

As part of confidence building measure and to maintain goodwill between villagers and administration, concerned Gaon Buras/Gaon Buris (GBs) or political interpreters (PIs) are informed in advance to rule out any sort of confrontation and to avoid law and order problem. However, all established norms and procedure were by-passed in this case, the letter reads.

Stating that village folks are unaware of the reasons behind the raids, the ISG demanded that related case and suspects if any be informed. It further demanded arrest and search warrant be produced as per the procedure.

It has been alleged that the raids were carried out at the behest of the BJP’s contesting candidate Nyamar Karbak as several similar styled raids have been carried out in Tego Gamlin and Laggi Gamlin— the ancestral village of the National People’s Party contesting candidate Jarpum Gamlin.

“If immediate action is not taken, we will have to move the Judiciary (High Court) for redressal of our genuine grievances...the incident is aimed at intimidating the law-abiding citizens,” said Jarpum Gamlin while adding that police administration should not indulge in nepotism while maintaining law and order in the area.

“I have a majority of the youths supporting my leadership, so it’s shocking that only two villages out of more than 55 villages are targeted,” Gamlin added.