Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Itanagar: The Jawaharlal Nehru College Students' Union is pushing for the release of 18 students jailed after a riot in Pasighat. The group submitted a formal request to East Siang Superintendent of Police Pankaj Lamba. Exams start in December. Union leaders claim continued detention ruins academic performance.
The trouble began on October 23. Protesters rallied against the 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. Residents fear the dam's environmental impact. They want the government to kill the survey work immediately. The march devolved into chaos. People threw stones. They set fires. Mobs hit the NHPC office and police stations. Cars and homes belonging to political leaders, including the state BJP president, were smashed. Police officers suffered injuries during the scrap.
Lamba confirmed the arrests. Ten students sit in judicial custody. Eight have already walked out on bail. The union promised to keep the peace. They told the police they would counsel the students to maintain discipline and uphold harmony. The union stated, "The continued detention of the students could disrupt their academic preparations and affect their performance in the examinations."
Updated at 11th November 2026 at 2:01am
While official reports cite a mob-led riot, some accounts from the ground suggest the initial escalation on October 23 followed alleged excesses by security forces during the demonstration against the hydropower project.
Local authorities have launched a formal investigation into the violence. Police have registered multiple cases as they continue to process the aftermath of the property damage and the injuries sustained by personnel during the unrest.
Updated at 11th November 2026 at 10:15pm
Legal proceedings took a bizarre turn on November 11. Anti-dam activist Tajong Talom, who had been locked up since October 24 for his role in the protest movement, secured bail from the District and Sessions Court in Pasighat. He stepped out of the sub-jail at 4:30 p.m., but police grabbed him again on the spot. Authorities have yet to provide any reason for the move or explain why they pulled him back into custody after the court cleared his release.
Updated at 12th November 2026 at 3:00pm
The Adi Baane Kebang United is now demanding a probe by a sitting judge into the police crackdown at Raneghat Tinali. The group gave the state government a 14-day deadline to act, claiming security forces used tear gas and stun grenades against peaceful youths who were already dispersing. They submitted video clips and a threatening audio message to the Governor as evidence, arguing the subsequent vandalism across Pasighat was a direct result of the unprovoked police aggression.
The organization clarified that the youths targeted by police were not part of the district-wide shutdown, which had concluded peacefully in other areas or was called off in East Siang to avoid violence. The group insists the unrest was a panic-fueled reaction rather than a premeditated riot.
Comments