Chongkham, May 2 (EMN): The Chongkham Welfare Forum (CWF) today in a press release expressed serious concerns about the security situation arising out of a new armed group being formed by jail-breakers of Chongkham jail and demand protection. On 11 April, a total of 12 undertrial prisoners broke the Chongkham jail. While four have been arrested, the eight others identified as Chitiso Chakma, Boxsu Chakma, Choto Chakma, Raju Mohan Chakma, Chikho Chakma, Bikram Handique, Tajum Tayeng and Kutum Mangpang remain at large.
These jail breakers have formed a new armed group reportedly with the help and support of the leaders of the Arunachal Pradesh Deprived Peoples Front (APDPF) and currently on bail.
The new group is operating from the Diyun area of Changlang district and they have been extorting local villagers and have been calling shopkeepers to pay up or face the bullets. Terrified villagers are scared to report to the local police.In 2014, the APDPF was formed by under-trial prisoners who escaped from the Khonsa sub-jail in August 2013 and 18 undertrial prisoners who escaped from a police lockup at the Chowkham police outpost on 19 July 2013.
In a fierce gun battle in April 2014, the Assam Rifles and local police personnel recovered 1 AK- 47 Rifle with 33 rounds of ammunition and 1 magazine, 4 muzzle loaded guns, 1 muzzle loaded pistol, 1 wooden pistol, 7 mobile phones, 1500 rupees, Bangladeshi currency-127 and 4 Daos (machetes) from their possession in Nandankanan area in Deban-Pakan under Miao circle. Two cadres namely Sudha Ranjan Chakma and Firoz Khan were killed in the gun battle.
The Chongkham Welfare Forum demanded immediate action from the Government of India and State Government of Arunachal Pradesh.
