ITANAGAR, Jul 1: The Itanagar Permanent Bench of the Gauhati High Court (HC) while hearing/disposing a pre-arrest bail plea by former MLA Thangwang Wangham in connection with Longding Police Station FIR case (U/S 365/34 IPC read with Sections 10/13 of the UA (P) Act) has directed him to surrender/appear before the magistrate (judicial), Longding, who had issued a non-bailable warrant of arrest against him, for regular bail.
“…Considering the facts and circumstances which are alleged in the police report and the developments in the investigation so far made, it appears that a serious crime has been committed with the motive of extortion and which could have led to further commission of other offences if it had not been intervened at the right time. It also appears that at least, at this stage; all fingers are pointed towards the accused-applicant, herein. Therefore, this court is of the view that the accused applicant should immediately surrender before the Judicial Magistrate first class, Longding, who had issued the Non-Bailable Warrant of Arrest against him and apply for regular bail on the day of his appearance itself,” the court order read.
“Till then, to enable the accused applicant to surrender, he should not be arrested by the Longding police. During this period, the accused-applicant should not indulge himself in doing any act which will influence the investigation or tamper with the evidence,” the court order said.
A police report (of the case) placed before the court by Additional Public Prosecutor Topi Jini stated that two persons, namely Lemphu Wangsu and Donchong Manham were abducted from a WRC field at Niausa on 15 April this year and both of them were released two days’ later by the abductors.
Seven persons have been arrested by police in connection with the case and some of them are reportedly active members of the NSCN (IM) and some are over-ground workers of the same organization.
During interrogation, some of the arrested persons revealed that the accused applicant is the one, who had directed them to abduct the two persons, the police report said.
“The victims had stated that they were abducted by some NSCN (I-M) cadre demanding Rs 4 crore of DoTCL, 2018-19.”
“The CRD of suspected members were obtained and one SS Sergent Tinglem Wangpan of village Chasa, PO/PS: Khonsa, Tirap, who was arrested in a case by Khonsa Police of Tirap district, was brought to Longding PS. On further examination, the said accused had revealed the whole facts of the offence that one Thangwang Wangham (Ex MLA 59th Constituency Longding) and one Bangpoh Wangpan, had directed, he and one SS Captain Joshua Tangkhul @ Regangmu @ David (i.e. NSCN (I-M) Cadre), to commit extortion of Rs 4 crore i.e. DoTCL fund 2018-19, with a notion that this fund was brought by him during his MLA tenure and also to commit abduction if extortion was not met,” the police report stated.
Meanwhile, Longding district unit of BJP has vehemently condemned the alleged involvement of the former MLA in the kidnapping of its two party (BJP) workers and urged the chief minister to hand over the case to a SIT or NIA.
The party demanded to bring all the culprits involved in the kidnapping to book and award them punishment as per the law.
