Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 9 Jun: Fifteen more persons who had been detained under the Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (APUAPA) in connection with the recent 72-hour bandh were released on Friday.
With this, 41 detainees have been released, including a minor. 40 were booked under APUAPA.
Among the released detainees were, activist Sol Dodum, AAP leader Tana Tamar, Pro Dam president Taw Paul, Nari Shakti members Kipa Champa, and Nimi Taba, PAJSC member Leena Sora, Nabam Sanjay, Likha Rajnik, Jidam Raimuk, Vijay Pertin, Hage Butung, Gekar Riba, Yadum Hangu, Raj Pao and Ajum Marde who were released on Friday.
Altogether 40 people had been booked under the APUAPA for enforcing the bandh in various districts across the state from 10 to 12 May, demanding that the government fulfil the 13-point charter of demands submitted by the Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee over the APPSC paper leak scam.
Itanagar Capital Region Deputy Commissioner Talo Potom had on Thursday clarified that the decision to detain these individuals was “a preventive measure and is not related to any Indian Penal Code offences.”
He had further informed that Dodum, Tamar, Paul, Champa, and Taba were being held under preventive detention. “They were the five individuals who played a key role in instigating the bandh,” Potom said, and appealed to Tadak Nalo, Teli Yamang, and Techi Puru to “surrender voluntarily or face legal consequences.”
The detention of the activists and bandh enforcers under the APUAPA has sparked widespread condemnation against the state government, with people demanding their early release. The government has also been criticised for selectively targetting people by invoking the APUAPA on the bandh enforcers, such as student organisations and community leaders.
