ITANAGAR, 22 Jun: In a major blow to the controversial Arunachal Pradesh Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (APUAPA), 2014, the Itanagar bench of the Gauhati High Court has quashed both the impugned detention orders and proclamations issued by the Itanagar Capital Region district magistrate under the APUAPA against Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee’s Techi Puru and Tadak Nalo.
Pronouncing the judgment on the writ petitions [Case number WP (Crl) 1/2023, and Case No WP (Crl) 2/2023] filed separately by Puru and Nalo, Justice Robin Phukan and Justice Kardak Ete in an order issued on Wednesday said: “We find sufficient merit in both the petitions and accordingly, the same stands allowed.”
The court pronounced that “the impugned orders dated 10.05.2023 are set aside and quashed.”
The court further said that, in the absence of supporting materials to suggest the factum of absconding and evading arrest by the petitioners, the impugned orders, by which proclamation were issued under Section 82 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, read with Section 7 (1) (a), APUAPA, also stands set aside and quashed.”
Puru and Nalo had filed separate writ petitions before the HC against the state government, challenging the detention order issued in May against them under Section 3 (i) of the APUAPA, and the proclamation order issued under Section 82 of the CrPC, declaring them as proclaimed offenders under Section 7 of the APUAPA.
