Home Department must take preventive measures over repeated harassment on Arunachalis

Arunachalis being harassed in Assam

A CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The Jigo Yego Students’ Union (JYSU) has demanded that the Government of Arunachal must immediately hold talks with the Government of Assam over the repeated harassment and alleged assault on Arunachalis travelling through Assam roads or face a ban on the Malini Mela scheduled to be held in March next.

Addressing a press conference organized by the JYSU here on Tuesday, Modam Dini claimed that while he along with his younger brother Henken Dini and their wives were on their way to visit a relative at a hospital in Dibrugarh, Assam at around 6:30 pm on February 18, they were assaulted and abused by two persons. Dini identified the attackers as Nihar Sensua and his friend.

The incident reportedly occurred at Borpathar near Dibrugarh University, Assam.

Modam also claimed that “when the matter was taken to the Borborua Police Station, Officer-in-Charge of the PS, Manoj Baruah was not only uncooperative but also refused to file an FIR. He, instead, and took the side of the duo.

“Instead of helping us, the OC continued to put pressure on us to pay the duo a sum of Rs 1,40,000 as compensation for the damage done to their vehicle, when they had hit our car. I was forced to pay a sum of Rs 33,000 to both of them by the OC,” Modam claimed.

However, Modam added that after the matter was reported to the Dibrugarh SP, he helped the Dinis get the money back and also issued a strict warning to OC Baruah.

JYSU president Nyape Taipodia has demanded that the Arunachal government must hold serious talks with its counterpart in Assam to suspend the Borborua police station OC, arrest the accused involved in the assault, and also discuss the matter of repeated attacks on Arunachalis visiting Assam, especially those who travel for medical-related works.

The student leader also warned that the students’ union and the people of Likabali in Lower Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh would impose a ban on the celebration of the Malini Mela there, scheduled to be held next month, if the State government fails to meet their demands.

Earlier, the JYSU had observed a 12-hour Likabali bandh on Monday to protest the attack, and demanded concrete steps against the repeated harassment to people of Arunachal travelling through Assam.

OUR DIBRUGARH STAFF CORRESPONDENT ADDS:

The OC of the Borborua PS, Monoj Baruah has been served a transfer order. Saying this, the Dibrugarh Superintendent of police told this reporter that the incident was brought to his notice by Henken Dini of Arunachal Pradesh, a victim of the road rage.

“I immediately made an inquiry and asked the OC to immediately return the money to the victim,” the SP said. According to the SP, it was found that OC Baruah was instrumental in making a compromise between the aggrieved parties, which the SP said, “was contradictory and had created confusion. As an administrative action, OC Baruah was served with the transfer order. He had to also pay back the amount to the victim.”

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