Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Dispur Police took graffiti artist Neelim Mahanta into custody on Saturday in Guwahati. Officers accused him of damaging public property. They seized his painting equipment and brushes alongside his vehicles. The force also arrested Chennai-based sculptor and painter Shyam Kumar. Police brought Kumar to Assam from Kerala to face the same allegations.
Mahanta hails from North Lakhimpur. He built a reputation across the Northeast for murals focused on social and cultural issues. The latest detention follows a pattern of police intervention in the region. Noonmati Police recently held artist Marshall Baruah in Guwahati as a preventive measure. Officials feared he might stage protests or paint politically charged murals. They released Baruah the next day.
This is not Mahanta’s first brush with the law. Arunachal Pradesh Police arrested him in March 2022. He had traveled to Itanagar to paint on the city Wall of Harmony. The art piece opposed mega dam projects in the Dibang region. Those projects carry a combined capacity of 57,000 MW. Regarding his past legal battles, Mahanta is known for his activism through art, often centering on local causes. Authorities continue to monitor the creative community as investigations into property damage remain active.
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