The ongoing stand-off over the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) has taken a serious turn with allegations of custodial assault on a 65-year-old Adi woman.
The woman, identified as Yalek Tair, was detained following the clashes that broke out on October 4 during the Pre-Feasibility Report (PFR) survey for the proposed 11,000 MW project at Ugeng, Riga and Pangkang villages.
Family sources said medical examination revealed two fractures on her right ribs with lung complications, leaving her in severe pain and breathing difficulty. She is under medical care and will require prolonged treatment.
Tair has alleged that she was beaten during the protest, her clothes were torn and her mobile phone was snatched and destroyed. She claimed the assault continued even after she was taken to the police station.
Recounting her ordeal, she said, “I was in so much pain that I could not sit or sleep properly the entire night. I don’t know Hindi, so I could not even ask them to stop beating me.” According to her family, she was picked up in connection with a house burning incident though her name was not mentioned in the FIR.
Police have given a different account of the October 4 incident. According to the Superintendent of Police, Siang, more than eight security personnel were injured in the clash and five persons, including two women, were detained.
The Siang Indigenous Farmers’ Forum (SIFF), which is spearheading the anti-dam agitation, has alleged that as many as 67 villagers sustained injuries in police action, 52 at Riga and 15 at Pangkang, with 31 of them suffering grievous injuries.
Meanwhile, CT scan and X-ray images purportedly of the victim have gone viral on social media, triggering widespread condemnation and demands for action.
The state government has reiterated that the PFR is only a preliminary technical study and does not amount to a final decision on dam construction. Chief Minister Pema Khandu has invited Adi community leaders and groups for talks on October 13 to find an amicable solution.