From our Correspondent

Itanagar, July 17: Arunachal Pradesh police is likely to release today a sketch of the suspected assailant who fired upon Tongam Rina, Associate Editor of Arunachal Times here on Sunday last.

Even after two days of the attack on the lady journalist, police remained clueless on the identity of the miscreant.

“We have rounded up several youths for interrogation since Sunday night but so far no arrests have been made,” Papum Pare SP Hibu Tamang said today. He informed that a sketch of the suspected person was made after interrogating several eye witnesses. The State Government has already constituted a special investigating team under Tamang to investigate into the case under the direct supervision of the DIG (security).

“Chief Minister Nabam Tuki has been constantly apprised of the progress of investigation and he (Tuki) himself taking serious note of the incident,” Tamang added.

Rina, who is the president of Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalist (APUWJ), was shot at from close range on Sunday evening when she was entering her office. She sustained bullet injury in her left waist and underwent operation later in the night. “Her condition is stable,” surgical specialists at R K Mission Hospital who are constantly observing her said.

With a steady row of visitors including ministers, MLAs and members of civil society, the concerned doctors had to restrict visits to allow her condition to stabilize further.  However, a chopper is ready to fly her to Guwahati in case the doctors advise it, the hospital sources said.  Meanwhile, Kento Rina, father of Tongam Rina, has thanked the people of the State for showing utmost love and care and extending all help and support to his daughter in the hours of need.

“She has shown sign of recovery and that is really encouraging for all of us,” Kento, who is the Deputy Director of School Education in Lohit district, said.

“My daughter, who even loves to feed stray dogs and ants, can never harm anyone and therefore this incident has left us shell-shocked. This kind of cowardly act is against our tribal culture and deserves condemnation from all quarters,” he said.

He appealed to all sections to not attach any communal colour to such inhuman and barbaric attack.

“The need of the hour is to give justice to Tongam and for that every Arunachalee should come out irrespective of caste, creed, colour and region to stand united for the greater cause of the journalists, who have been giving selfless service for the all-round development of this landlocked backward State,” Kento added.