‘Police excesses during NRC verification’

Our correspondent

Itanagar, May 15: Police excesses during ongoing verification of National Register of Citizens (NRC) were reported from Banderdewa area, bordering Papum Pare district of Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday.

A police team from North Lakhimpur during checking found names of a father and his son missing in the NRC list and arrested the duo, but allegedly demanded ransom to release them on condition that they should report to the NRC office at North Lakhimpur the next day.

The son, namely Ravi Borah, born in Banderdewa area, presently serving as a driver of an elected leader of Itanagar Municipal Council, said that they were arrested despite production of the Assam Government documents to prove their Indian citizenships. Moreover, the police team demanded ransom, he alleged. “On payment we were freed with a directive to report to the NRC office at North Lakhimpur on Monday,” Borah said.

The Supreme Court had issued the directive that the NRC should have names of all Indian citizens, including their children and descendants, who have moved to Assam after March 24, 1971 and the individuals need to provide residential proof, even if they are based outside Assam.

An IMC councilor here wondered should anyone whose name is missing from NRC be arrested as Bangladeshi the way the duo were arrested. He quoted that the apex court had upheld legality of such certificates after Gauhati High Court ruled against them saying these had “no statutory sanctity”.