Arunachal Media Bodies Condemn Naming of Journalist Tongam Rina in Police Search Warrant Plea
Police have approached the East Siang Chief Judicial Magistrate seeking permission to search the residences of four individuals, including senior journalist Tongam Rina, in connection with the October 23 violence during protests against the Siang Upper Multipurpose Project. Media organisations have called for transparency, due process and safeguards for journalistic materials.
ITANAGAR- Arunachal Pradesh’s media organisations have strongly objected to the inclusion of senior journalist Tongam Rina, in a police application seeking search warrants in connection with the October 23 violence in Pasighat.
The Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) and the Arunachal Press Club (APC), in a joint statement, condemned the move, raising concerns over the implications for press freedom and the ability of journalists to report on sensitive public issues without fear or intimidation.
The organisations maintained that journalism and reporting on public protests should not be treated as criminal conduct. They called for clarity on the grounds for including Rina’s name in the application and urged the authorities to take corrective action if her inclusion was found to be unjustified.
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The Arunachal Pradesh-based journalists’ bodies also stressed the importance of protecting the freedom of the press and ensuring that journalists are not subjected to undue pressure for carrying out their professional responsibilities.
The Arunachal Pradesh-based journalists’ organisations’ concerns come amid continuing developments in the police investigation into the violence that erupted in Pasighat on October 23 during protests against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP).
According to reports, the police submitted an application dated October 27 before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, East Siang, seeking search warrants under Section 96 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, against four individuals, including Tongam Rina, advocate Sunny Tayeng and activists Otul Jerang and Tajong Talom.
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The application reportedly seeks permission to search their residences and seize clothing allegedly worn during the incident, mobile phones, digital devices containing photographs or videos, and other materials that police consider relevant to the investigation. However No confirmation of such an order or searches was available at the time of reporting.
The October 23 violence followed protests against the proposed SUMP, with reports of vandalism and arson targeting public and government properties in Pasighat. The incident prompted a police investigation and drew wider attention to the ongoing public opposition to the project.
The inclusion of a journalist in the police application has now added a press freedom dimension to the developments, with media organisations seeking clarity and safeguards to ensure that journalistic work and the investigation of alleged offences remain distinct.
