Staff Reporter
CHANGLANG, May 16: An FIR has been lodged against unidentified persons in Mamnao police station by the Changlang district administration on Friday last, based on the official enquiry report submitted by the Manmao EAC regarding the 10 May incident.
On 10 May forest officials from Lekhapani (Assam) had allegedly trespassed into Arunachal’s territory at Phenbiro-I village under Manmao circle of Changlang district and damaged the foundation stone of the rural works department marking inter-state link road and removed a PHED ODF signboard nearby.
The locals further accused the Assam forest officials of cutting down trees inside the forest plantation there. Despite there being no eye witnesses, local accounts to the magistrate suggested that a vehicle of the Assam forest department was sighted near the site of incident.
Changlang Deputy Commissioner Devansh Yadav informed this daily on Saturday that the administration is presently writing to the Tinsukia deputy commissioner seeking details into the incident.
“We are writing to the Tinsukia deputy commissioner and district forest officer, asking them to enquire into the matter as their personnel were said to be in the jurisdiction. We will wait for their response. In the meantime, our state police will be conducting its own enquiry as per FIR in order to find more evidence,” the DC said.
Responding to queries regarding current security arrangements in Phenbiro-I village, the DC stated that the state police have been briefed to ensure patrolling in the area in order to prevent similar incidents in future.
“Also, village-level Covid-19 monitoring teams present at villages bordering Assam will be briefed by the police patrolling party to prevent any inter-state movement,” he added.
