Pul's body flown to village for last rites

The body of former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul, who committed suicide on Tuesday, was flown to his Walla village in Anjaw district on Wednesday for last rites.

Pul, who stepped down from the post last month following a Supreme Court order, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at the official residence of the Chief Minister in Itanagar which he had not yet vacated.

Pul's body was kept in the Chief Minister's residence since Tuesday after autopsy and people from different walks of life paid floral tributes till late in the night.

Several political leaders also paid their respects.

"Some of his colleagues and family members, including wife Dangwimsai, boarded the chopper that carried the body of Pul," a Congress leader said, adding the cremation will be held on Thursday.

Former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang, who was present at the helipad, demanded a through inquiry into the circumstances leading to Pul's death.

Arunachal Pradesh has declared a three-day mourning. A holiday has been declared for Thursday when the last rites will take place.

Meanwhile, the situation in Itanagar has returned to normal after the sporadic incidents of violence on Tuesday.

The government, however, suspended the services of SMS, GPRS, 3G and 4G of all service providers in the state following fears of communal clashes.

"Electronic communication tools like SMS and mobile data services are being used for furthering the objective of spreading communal messages leading to communal violence," a government order said.

--IANS

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