Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Jun 17: In a shocking incident, Longding police arrested a father after failing to arrest his son who has been accused of peddling drugs.
Pongbo Boham, a prominent church leader of Arunachal and a driver in RWD was called to the police station by OC Kanubari Tangjong Langching and kept in lock up for more than 24 hours after the police failed to arrest his son.
Police refused to let Boham go unless he brings his son to the police station even after intervention of the villagers.
Boham was on Covid-19 duty when he was called to the police station, on June 16 afternoon and subsequently locked up with a warning to find his son.
In a video made available to this daily, the father locked up in a tiny room in police station is heard saying in Wancho language that he has no way to reach his son.
According to the FIR by OC inspector T.Langching, Boham’s son identified as Wangchong Boham and his friend Jangrin Ponglaham, who is serving as stretcher bearer at CHC Kanubari were intercepted by the police with brown sugar on June 6.
Wangchong fled, according to police and is yet to be traced.
Questionably and in violation of law, his father was instead picked up on Wednesday.
Advocate Nokchom Wangjen said that his request for details pertaining to G.D Entry, F.I.R and police detention and copies of statement of the father Pongbo Boham and another person was refused by the police.
The lawyer has been asked to get the details from the court.
This daily was unable to reach Kanubari Police station as it did not respond to calls.
Speaking to this daily, one of the relatives of Pongbo Boham said that family is anguished by the police action.
“He is a respected person in the community and near retirement. The police picked up the father for no fault of his. The family is deeply hurt by the police action”, the person said adding that the police has been terrorizing the people.
SP Longding B.B Reddy did not respond to message sent by this daily. The Kanubari police are reported to have picked up Boham under the SP’s direction.
In a conversation made available to this daily, the OC is heard saying that all details regarding the detention should be had from the court.
The OC further says instructions were from his bosses so he had no other option than detaining the father.
The illegal detention of the Pongbo Boham has shocked the people of the area who are yet to come to terms with the killing of 60 year old villager Lamdaan Lukham on May 16 by the Sikh Regiment. The state is yet to submit the details of the enquiry constituted in the killing of Lukham.
