21 held during illegal bandh call in Arunachal’s East Kameng district

Arunachal Pradesh: The East Kameng District Police has taken decisive action against the illegal bandh call that disturbed law and order in Seppa city from May 10 to May 12. The three-day shutdown was called by a group of anti-social elements, including Tamo Natong, Mander Chege Taniang, Karan Beyong and Jaram Riang. However, the district administration had already declared the bandh call illegal, prompting the authorities to take this action.
During the bandh period, the East Kameng Police, along with magistrates, maintained a strong presence to prevent untoward incidents and damage to public property. Despite their efforts, several incidents were reported during the bandh call, resulting in several FIRs being registered by the district administration.
The first incident occurred on the morning of May 10 when a group of bandh enforcers, led by Mander Chege, Tamo Natung, Jeram Riang, Tacho Dodum, Karab Beyong, and others, gathered near Deewana Hotel Tri-Junction Seppa. They marched around the city of Sepa, forcing shops to close and stopping daily commuters. They even forcefully barged into the DC office, Seppa, defying the orders of the district administration. Inside the office, they prevented civil servants from performing their duties and formed an illegal assembly with the intention of creating a riot.
In another incident on the afternoon of May 10, unidentified mob members blocked the road from Pacha Pul to Bebo Colony using pipes belonging to the PHED department, damaging public property. Police later removed the pipes to restore traffic flow, but the process caused inconvenience to the public.
On May 12, miscreants set fire to tires on a public road in Seppa, Type-1 Colony, and damaged a telecom pole, with the aim of disrupting vehicular movement and damaging public property. was Additionally, a video uploaded by Voice Now Media shows unidentified miscreants blocking vehicular traffic and causing trouble in Rajbapak Colony, Seppa. However, the crowd fled before they could be identified.
Following these incidents, four FIRs were registered at Seppa police station on the complaints of magistrates. The FIR includes charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) relating to unlawful assembly, obstruction of public servants, rioting, damage to public property and prevention of damage to public property are related to the (PDPP) Act.
In a major development, 21 people, including 13 men and 8 women, have been arrested in connection with the bandh call and subsequent incidents. Additionally, 10 persons (5 men and 5 women) have joined the investigation after receiving a notice under Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Notably, two government employees have also been arrested for calling a shutdown and joining an illegal rally. They are Karcha Dodam, an Agriculture Field Assistant in Bameng, and Shri Tacho Dodum, Head Assistant in RWD Department Seppa.