Itanagar, Oct 29 Arunachal Pradesh Police has sought warrants to search the residences of four persons, including an advocate and a journalist, in connection with violence during protests against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) on October 23, officials said.
In an application dated October 27, investigating officer sub-inspector Kodak Dagium of the East Siang police sought permission from the Chief Judicial Magistrate of East Siang district to search the residences of activists Otul Jerang (30) and Tajong Talom (30), advocate Sunny Tayeng and journalist Tongam Rina.
The application sought permission to seize clothing allegedly worn during the violence, mobile phones, digital devices containing photographs or video recordings, and other materials relevant to the case.
The recovery of these items was necessary to establish the individual roles of the accused, reconstruct the sequence of events, corroborate witness statements and preserve evidence that could otherwise be concealed, altered or destroyed, the application stated.
It sought warrants under Section 96 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, or other applicable provisions.
The proposed searches would be conducted by authorised personnel in accordance with the law, with proper documentation and seizure lists, it said.
The request follows the violence in Pasighat on October 23 and 24, when protests against the proposed mega hydropower project escalated into clashes, arson and vandalism.
According to police, protesters allegedly attacked security personnel, damaged police vehicles and set fire to the police station and an office of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
The residences of state BJP president and former MLA Kaling Moyong, and Pasighat West MLA Ninong Ering and the central office of Adi Baane Kebang were also vandalised.
Police subsequently registered eight cases and arrested 26 people, including five juveniles, in connection with the incidents.
Six others were detained for questioning, according to a police statement.
The violence followed unprecedented opposition to the proposed 11,200-MW SUMP, with indigenous organisations and residents raising concerns over the project’s potential impact on ancestral land, livelihoods and the environment.
Protesters have also demanded a halt to preliminary survey activities, the release of detained activists and the withdrawal of security personnel from affected areas.
The state government has maintained that the project is being examined for its potential benefits, including water security, flood moderation and hydropower generation, and has appealed to stakeholders to resolve differences through dialogue.
The application seeks judicial authorisation for the proposed searches as part of the ongoing investigation. The court’s decision on the request was not immediately available.
Meanwhile, the Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) and Arunachal Press Club (APC) strongly condemned the inclusion of senior journalist and deputy editor of The Arunachal Times, Tongam Rina’s name in an application seeking search warrants in connection with the October 23 violence in Pasighat during protests against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
(PTI News)
