Arunachal hands over youth's murder case to CBI

Itanagar, June 29 (IANS) Bowing to public pressure, the Arunachal Pradesh government has handed over the case of the murder of an 18-year-old student last year to the CBI, an official said on Friday.

Toko Yame, a Class XII student of Government Higher Secondary School in Tawang, had gone missing after a scuffle with some fellow students and those from Tawang's Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya on September 16, 2017.

His semi-decomposed body was found at Biga waterfall in Tawang district on September 23.

The state government had formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the case. Around 20 persons were questioned in connection with Toko's death, though the SIT is yet to file a chargesheet in the case.

"... the state government took note of the fact that the case is serious and sensitive in nature and also that representations have been received from the public. Therefore, it has decided to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation for expediting the probe and for ensuring justice to the bereaved family," an official statement said.

In a letter to the CBI, state authorities said that on the recommendation of the Director General of Police and for the reasons mentioned above, the competent state authority had decided to transfer the case to the central agency.

The gist of the case and the status reports have also been submitted to the CBI, the statement said.

Several organisations in Arunachal Pradesh had given a 15-day ultimatum to the state government to ensure justice for the dead student.

The Congress had accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government of shielding the culprits.

Tawang, dominated by the Monpa community, is the hometown of Chief Minister Pema Khandu.