Police, Army differ on Bomdila police station attack

A large number of Arunachal Scouts personnel vandalised Bomdila police station in West Kameng district, damaged five vehicles and snatched away arms and ammunition after two of its personnel were taken there in connection with an incident of alleged misbehaviour, police said Monday.

A defence communique said the two personnel of the Second Arunachal Scouts were picked up by police when they had gone to attend Buddha Mahotsav in Bomdila and were severely beaten up in custody.

The incident is an outcome of highhandedness displayed by the Arunachal Police coupled with the lax attitude of the civil administration, it added.

But West Kameng Superintendent of Police Raja Bantia said the two Scouts personnel had allegedly misbehaved with visitors at the Mahotsava on Friday and were taken to the police station, where they reportedly manhandled the officer in-charge and a policewoman.

On Saturday, the Scouts personnel vandalised the police station, threw stones, forcibly entered it and snatched away arms and ammunition, besides the mobile phones of the officer-in-charge and threatened him with dire consequence, the SP said.

The district administration has ordered an inquiry into the incident and a committee headed by additional superintendent of police would submit its report within a week, the SP said.

The Commanding Officer of the battalion, Col Firdosh P Dubash, Sunday filed an FIR at Bomdila police station against its officer-in-charge Ashok Tayeng, he said.

The communique said the two Scouts personnel have been admitted at the Military Hospital in Tenga.

"The police have not acted in a responsible and mature manner violating all the laid down protocols of dealing with the uniform personnel, as instead of looking up the soldiers in the police station they should have handed over the soldiers to the military authorities.

"The CO tried to defuse the situation by having a meeting with the SP Bomdila on Saturday when the police personnel instigated the CO's guard by misbehaving with them and using unparliamentary language which led to a scuffle between both sides which otherwise could have been avoided had the on duty police personnel had behaved in the more professional manner," it said.

Condemning the incident, BJP national council member R K Khrimey Monday urged Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to order a high-level probe.

Members of civil society organised a rally at Bomdila to protest rally.

Addressing the rally, Khrimey condemned the behaviour of Army personnel and demanded stern action against the wrongdoers.