[ Marina Dai ]

ITANAGAR, 11 Oct: Sixty-five-year-old Yalek Tair struggles to breathe and suffers from continuous coughing after a severe assault while in police custody left her with two fractured ribs on the right side of her chest and injured her lungs.

She is one of many members of the indigenous Adi community who have been protesting against the state government's plan to build the mega Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) for years and have suffered police brutality. Their protests have been met with state violence that has become a regular occurrence in the Siang valley, and the 65-year-old now requires long-term medical intervention.

The incident occurred during tense moments when armed law enforcers and citizens came face-to-face, as a large crowd turned out to oppose the pre-feasibility study for the SUMP. The day left many law keepers and citizens injured, and several individuals, including Tair, were taken into custody.

The 65-year-old suffered what doctors described as severe injuries after being assaulted during the Ugeng protest on 4 October, and again while in police detention. She was taken into custody in a case related to the burning of a home, though she was not named in the first information report (FIR).

Tair alleged that she was beaten during the protest, her clothes were torn, and her phone was snatched and smashed on the ground. Her ordeal continued after her arrest. "I was in pain. I could not sit, lie down, or rest properly that night," she said, describing her time at the police station. "I cannot speak Hindi, so I could not communicate to the police personnel to not beat me."

It has since emerged that others taken into custody alongside Tair were also assaulted while in police custody.

Medical records show that Tair was examined at the Boleng district hospital on the night of 4 October. The initial examination noted swelling and bruising over her left deltoid region, along with complaints of chest discomfort. A family member told The Arunachal Times that the family had sought her release from police custody, so she could receive immediate medical attention, alleging that she remained detained despite their requests and clear concerns about her condition.

A subsequent CT scan conducted the next day in Pasighat, with results issued the following day, revealed that Tair had two fractured ribs on the right side of her chest. The scan also detected a small amount of air and blood around her right lung, as well as air in the space between her lungs and in the tissues of her chest wall and neck. Medical experts consulted by The Arunachal Times classified the condition as a 'grievous injury', noting that blood in the pleural space can cause breathing difficulties and warrants prompt medical evaluation and monitoring.

It has emerged that others who were taken into custody along with Tair were also assaulted while they were in police custody.

The police forwarding report separately noted that Tair had a health issue and that a medical officer had advised referral to a higher medical facility for further treatment.

The judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) in Pangin, in an order dated 5 October in GR Case No 45/2026, recorded Tair's complaint that she had been assaulted by police personnel after being taken into custody. The court also referred to medical examination reports documenting the injuries of those taken into custody, and directed an inquiry into the allegations of assault in police custody.

"During interaction, Yalek Tair, Taren Tali and Tamiyo Jerang complained that they were assaulted by police personnel after being taken into custody," the order states.

It adds that their respective medical examination reports recorded "injuries in the nature of swelling, bruises and contusions attributable to blunt trauma."

The magistrate observed that, given the allegations and the injuries documented in the medical reports and noticed by the court, "the matter requires appropriate verification."

The court directed that its order and the medical examination reports of Tair, Taren Tali, and Tamiyo Jerang be forwarded to the superintendent of police, Siang district, for an inquiry through an officer "not connected with the alleged incident of assault."

Siang SP Kamdam Sikom told The Arunachal Times that the inquiry is being conducted by an independent officer and is currently underway.

The inquiry was also directed to establish, from contemporaneous police records, the actual time and circumstances of the initial apprehension of three other accused at Ugeng and their subsequent movement to the Boleng police station.

The court has set 19 October as the date for the submission of the report.

According to the police forwarding report submitted to the court on 5 October, the case that led to the detention arose from a complaint by Thomas Jamoh, alleging that a residential building and a toilet in Ugeng were set on fire during the agitation over SUMP on 4 October. The complaint also alleged damage to household articles and other properties.

The police report alleged that all those taken into custody were part of an unlawful assembly and a mob involved in an attack on Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel in Ugeng, during which security personnel were injured. The arrest grounds also stated that their detention was necessary to prevent further escalation, and that they had continued their alleged involvement despite warnings.

The magistrate in the 5 October order noted that none of the five accused produced before the court was specifically named in the FIR. The court also observed that the material placed before it did not sufficiently establish their individual connection with the alleged arson.

The court rejected requests for further judicial custody of the five individuals, and directed their release in the case, unless their detention is required in connection with another case or under another lawful authority.