Arunachal Pradesh: State Govt hands over Toko Yame death case to CBI

ITANAGAR, June 30, 2018: Government of Arunachal Pradesh has decided to hand over  the case of Toko Yame's death in Tawang district last year to the CBI.

Yoko, a class XII student of Government Higher Secondary School, Tawang, had gone missing after a scuffle between students of his school and those of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) at Tawang on September 16 last year.

His semi-decomposed body was found a week later at Biga waterfall near JNV in the district on September 23.

A case was registered at Tawang police station under Section 363/302 of the IPC on September 16, 2017. It was transferred to the state's special investigation team (SIT) on October 13, 2017. Twenty people were arrested but were later granted bail.

Questioning the efficiency of the SIT in solving the case, thousands of students and youths, led by the All East Kameng District Students' Union, had taken out a protest rally here on Monday.

The students' union set a 15-day deadline for the government to look into their demand for a CBI probe, failing which they threatened to impose an economic blockade in Tawang district and launch a non-cooperation movement against the state government.

Several other student and political organisations, including the All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) and the Arunachal PCC, have also been demanding a CBI probe into the case.

A statement from the chief minister's office on Friday said, "The state government took note that the case is serious and sensitive in nature and also that representations have been received from the public. Therefore, it decided to hand over the case to the CBI for expediting the investigation process and for ensuring that justice is delivered to the bereaved family members."

In a letter to the CBI, the state home commissioner said the competent authority has decided to transfer the case to the CBI on the basis of recommendations made by the state director-general of police and also taking into note demands by various students' organisations for expediting probe into the case."The gist of the case and status reports have been submitted to the CBI," the statement added.Welcoming the decision, AAPSU general secretary Tobom Dai said the CBI should investigate the case on a fast-track basis and without any political interference.All East Kameng District Students' Union president Chakang Yangda, however, refused to comment, saying he was yet to receive confirmation on the decision to hand over Toko case to the CBI.

Dai also urged the government to hand over the murder case of Ojing Taying, former finance secretary of All East Siang District Students' Union, to the CBI.

Taying had died after being attacked by miscreants here on June 10 last year.

"Since the case has been languishing for almost a year without any major breakthrough, the Itanagar police and the SIT must accept their abject failure in handling the case and hand it over to their central counterparts," Dai said.

PCC vice-president Minkir Lollen echoed Dai's demand for handing over Taying's case to the CBI.

Source: The Telegraph