[Bengia Ajum]
ITANAGAR, 17 Jan: The Arunachal Pradesh Police (APP) has arrested one Tana Hasi for his alleged role in carrying out recruitment of operatives for the armed group United Tani Army (UTA).
Hasi was picked up on Wednesday from his home by the Itanagar police, based on intelligence report of him working for the UTA. After sustained interrogation, the police formally arrested him and booked him under the UAPA Act.
IGP (Law & Order) Chukhu Apa told the media on Friday that Hasi, along with self-styled chairman of the UTA, Anthony Doke, had been carrying out recruitment of youths for the UTA using various platforms, including social media. “Doke and his members used to screen Facebook and look for vulnerable youths. Once they identified such youths, Hasi was entrusted to recruit and then send them to Myanmar for training,” said Apa.
Further, Apa informed that due to the timely intervention of the state police, one youth was stopped from going to the UTA camp to join the training.
“Hasi and Doke have been working together since the time of the National Liberation Council of Taniland (NLCT). Again they joined hands together for carrying out recruitment for the UTA,” said the IGP.
Apa urged the youths who have joined the UTA to come back and join the mainstream. “As per reports, around a dozen youths from the state are with the UTA as of now. My appeal to these youths is to please come back. We will not take action and they can avail facilities under the surrender policy of the government of India,” he said.
However, he warned that if they fail to come back and continue carrying out antisocial activities, they will face the might of the state police.
Apa also called upon parents to keep an eye on the activities of their wards, so that they don’t get recruited by organisations like the UTA. He also dismissed the statement of Anthony Doke that wrong people have been picked up by the state police. “Doke is trying to mislead the people of the state. We have enough evidence and based on it Hasi was arrested,” he added.
Besides Tana Hasi, the police picked up two more former members of the NLCT and interrogated them, but they were not arrested.
On Thursday, Doke had alleged that the state police had picked up a few former operatives of the NLCT, linking them to the UTA. He had said that the police were picking up the wrong people, and had urged them to stop harassing these individuals.
