Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 29 Nov: The East Kameng district police arrested seven persons, in connection with a murder mystery, on 30 October.
SP Kamdam Sikom informed that the arrested persons have been identified as Janu Tana, Byate Tana, Taje Tana, Yangu Tana, Maya Sangchoju, James Tana, and Nabam Tajik.
Sikom said that, “on 30 October morning, around 5:30 am, a telephonic report was received from the public regarding an unknown dead body beside the road in Forest Colony, Type-III, Seppa.”
“Subsequently, SI (P) Dogin Tamin visited the scene. Initially, the dead body remained unidentified, and no complaint was filed at the police station. A suo moto case was registered u/s 302/201 IPC,” the SP said.
The deceased was later identified as Deva Taku, son of late Lata Taku, of Kakukao village, Seppa, by his mother and younger brother. The SP informed that the deceased, who had been jailed on the charge of murder, had been released a month ago.
He had accidentally caused fatal injuries to one Tokpar Tana, son of Taje Tana, of Palin village, during a boxing class in Pakke-Kessang on 22 June. A case (u/s 302 IPC) had been registered at the Pakke-Kessang police station, and Deva Taku had later been released from jail.
The SP formed a special investigation team (SIT), comprising DSP (HQ) Matin Ratan, Seppa PS OC Inspector Sochi Don, SI (P) D Taching, SI (P) R Richo, and SI (P) D Tamin. The team conducted technical analysis of available CCTV footages and the deceased’s mobile phone. The analysis led to the discovery of one Maya Sangchoju, wife of one Janu alias Atam Tana, of Palin village, Pakke-Kessang district, who is the uncle of late Tokpar Tana.
“Maya Sangchoju was observed walking with the deceased in CCTV footage during the incident. Further analysis revealed that Maya, the deceased, and two accused persons, Janu Tana and Byate Tana, were at the same location (PO) during the commission of the offence.
“Maya Sangchoju was in constant contact with her husband over the phone while being with the deceased. Assuming that the incident was a case of revenge killing, the SIT initiated a rigorous investigation.
“Further investigation unravelled the involvement of other family members of late Tokpar Tana, namely, Byate Tana, Taje Tana (father), and Yangu Tana (mother), in hatching a conspiracy to kill late Deva Taku,” the SP informed.
Janu Tana, Byate Tana, and Taje Tana left Palin village suspiciously soon after the incident, and took shelter in the house of one Tajik Nabam, their brother-in-law, in Naharlagun. On 1 November, a police team led by Inspector S Don, along with SI (P) D Taching, L/Ct D Perying, Ct S Yangfo, and Ct S Taniang, went to Naharlagun.
However, Tajik Nabam, upon seeing the police team, asked Janu Tana, Byate Tana, Taje Tana, and Maya Sangchoju to escape.
After 12 days, on the second attempt, Byate Tana, Taje Tana, and Tajik Nabam were arrested from Naharlagun on 13 November.
During interrogation of the three arrestees, it emerged that Janu alias Atam Tana and his wife Maya Sangchoju had left for Delhi after staying at Jamesh Tana’s house in Doimukh for five days. Subsequent investigation revealed that the duo was in Hyderabad.
Acting on this information, the East Kameng police arrested both of them on 25 November.
Furthermore, Janu alias Atam revealed that he utilised his wife and waited for almost two months in Seppa to seek revenge for his deceased brother.
“All seven arrested accused persons have admitted their guilt, and the weapon of offence has been recovered in the presence of the magistrate along with other relevant materials,” the SP informed.
