Arunachal guv calls for strengthening security apparatus in insurgency-hit eastern districts

Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lieutenant General (Retired) K T Parnaik on Saturday called for strengthening the security apparatus in the state's insurgency-hit eastern districts of Tirap, Changlang and Longding.

The governor, during a meeting with a senior Assam Rifles officer at Raj Bhavan here, discussed ways and means to strengthen the security in the three districts.

The governor's call came after a series of kidnappings in Longding district over the last few months and the murder of former MLA Yumsem Matey by unknown assailants near the India-Myanmar border in Tirap district on December 16.

Parnaik suggested real-time sharing of intelligence with other security forces, including state police, operating in the three districts.

The Assam Rifles sector commander briefed the governor on the security situation in the three districts and various goodwill projects undertaken by the force. He elaborated on the proactive role played by Assam Rifles in maintaining law and order in the eastern part of the state.

The state government on December 21 decided to transfer the case relating to the killing of Matey to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The government has requested the Union Home Ministry to take up the matter of probe of the incident with the NIA, the state's Deputy Home Secretary Likha Sampu said.

Matey, a former Congress legislator, was shot dead by unidentified assailants when he went to Lazu with three of his supporters for some personal work. He had recently declared before his supporters that he would contest the 2024 assembly polls from Khonsa West constituency.

Matey was first elected as an MLA in 2009 on a Congress ticket. After losing the 2014 polls, he joined the BJP in 2015.

The state also witnessed a series of kidnappings in Longding district over the last few months. In all the cases, ransoms were demanded and the captives released after several days, with no clarity on whether the amounts were paid.

Militants of the Ang Mai faction of banned outfit NSCN-K had abducted village chief Chopkhu Gangsa (53) and gaon bura (village headman) Chijgsan Wangham (45) from Chop village in the district on November 28 for allegedly not paying a levy of Rs 50,000 to the outfit.

They were reportedly taken to Longpa village in neighbouring Myanmar and released on December 21 after remaining in captivity for nearly a month.

Similarly, Shashank Yadav, a junior engineer, and Liamgao Pansa, a supervisor of a construction company, were kidnapped by three armed militants NSCN-KYA faction from a camp near Tisa River in the district on November 16.

Both were released on November 28 but it was not clear whether any ransom was paid.

On October 29, two brothers, Katwang Wangham, a village chief, and Wangtai Wangsu of Kamhua Noksa village in the district were kidnapped by militants belonging to the NSCN-KYA faction, which had demanded Rs 60 lakh as ransom for their safe release.

Nearly two weeks after being held captive, the two were finally released on November 9. However, it was not clear whether the payment of ransom facilitated their release.

Out of the 239 insurgency-related fatalities in the state since March 2000, 183 have occurred in the Tirap-Changlang-Longding (TCL) region, according to official data.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)