Arunachal Police Seeks Court Nod to Search Four Residences in Siang Project Violence Probe

Arunachal Pradesh Police has approached a court seeking warrants to search the residences of four people, including an activist, an advocate and a journalist, in connection with violence during protests against the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) on October 23.

In an application dated October 27, investigating officer Sub-Inspector Kodak Dagium sought permission from the Chief Judicial Magistrate of East Siang district to search the homes of activists Otul Jerang (30) and Tajong Talom (30), advocate Sunny Tayeng and journalist Tongam Rina.

The police have sought to seize clothing allegedly worn during the violence, mobile phones, digital devices containing photographs or videos, and other materials relevant to the investigation. The application, filed under Section 96 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, stated that the items could help establish the alleged roles of those concerned, reconstruct events and corroborate witness statements.

The request follows violent protests in Pasighat on October 23 and 24, during which police vehicles were damaged and a police station and an office of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) were allegedly set on fire.

The residences of state BJP president and former MLA Kaling Moyong and Pasighat West MLA Ninong Ering, as well as the central office of Adi Baane Kebang, were also vandalised.

Police registered eight cases, arrested 26 people, including five juveniles, and detained six others for questioning.

The protests stemmed from concerns among indigenous organisations and residents over the project's potential impact on ancestral land, livelihoods and the environment. Demonstrators have demanded a halt to preliminary surveys, the release of detained activists and withdrawal of security personnel from affected areas.