Arunachal: Candlelight march held to demand justice for alleged murder of rehab centre inmate

A peaceful candlelight procession was carried out from the D. Ering Govt. Hr. Secondary School ground to Gandhi Chowk, the main market, on the evening of August 4 to demand justice for the late Olip Mukherjee, who was allegedly beaten to death by inmates and the management of the Serene Life Foundation Drug Rehab Centre in Gumin Nagar, Pasighat, on July 19.

The candlelight peace procession was carried out by the family members, well-wishers and friends of late Olip Mukherjee after obtaining proper permission from the district administration. During the procession, the people demanded justice for late Mukherjee while appealing the police authorities to book and arrest all involved directly or indirectly, including holding accountable the Women Against Social Evils (WASE) mothers into investigation.
 
People attending the peace procession shouted slogans against team WASE blaming them for taking law into hand and also alleged of working hand in glove with the rehab centre and those youths who are involved in wrong activities. They slammed WASE of being arrogant and impulsive in handing over late Mukherjee in the rehab centre without properly verifying and checking the drug addiction history and records (if any) while stating that the deceased youth was not known of using drugs even by his family and friends. They leveled WASE President, Yamik Dulom Darang of being partner with the alleged rehab centre and other two youths who are said to be accompanying Smty Darang during that night when late Mukherjee was dragged to the rehab centre stating that the deceased was found using drugs.
 
Whereas, mother of late Mukherjee, Smty Mohimang Litin along with wife, friends and well-wishers challenged that he was not using drugs, so he did not have any history and instances of drug use before. She questioned how the WASE president presumed the deceased as a drug addict/user only by producing an empty tobacco box, as the members are neither doctors nor police personnel. 
 
“When I was selling oranges in Pasighat in the recent past, the said youths engaged by WASE had extorted huge money from the orange buyers from Assam and they even tortured the buyers demanding money. Because of such activities, the orange buyers/traders from neighbouring Assam stopped purchasing oranges from us which led to huge loss for me as well because the money the trader was to pay the cost of my Oranges were extorted by the unruly youths, now used by WASE president. So, even a layman can imagine the doubtful integrity of WASE and their working pattern, as they use extortionists to get their job done or the WASE works in favour of these extortionists and other rehab centre”, added the woman.
 
It is worth mentioning here that the WASE members have been stating in their press statements that they called and informed the mother of late Mukherjee about her son using drugs. WASE also maintained saying that the mother signed the acceptance/admission copy of her son in the rehab centre, but later the signature of mother in the admission copy was found forged and also the WASE president's claim of her making a call to the mother of the deceased was found false (because, the caller was a male and WASE do not have any male as members). So, the clarification and statement of WASE in their defense were found to be wrong and misleading. Accordingly, the rehab management did not allow the mother to meet her son which means the deceased was put in the centre forcefully without the consent of the parent/mother. The mother was asked to deposit the fees for her son’s admission in the centre though without her consent, but later her son was found murdered/beaten to death on July 19.
 
Many have also alleged that the WASE president’s son supplies meat/chicken to the said rehab centre and there is a statement within WASE of rehab management transferring meat charges/costs of son in the account of WASE president. There is also an allegation within team WASE of its president going around nabbing drug users and handing them over to the alleged Serene Life Foundation rehab centre without the consensus of other WASE leaders. 

However, the allegation of possible linkage between WASE and rehab centre working hand in glove is a matter of proper police investigation which can be possible or speeded up only if continuous public pressures are made on the case. Else, influence of power, money and acquaintances are likely to hijack the deeper investigation in order to protect the other person/s responsible hidden behind the curtain.
 
The people including relatives of the deceased participating in the candle light march procession strongly stated that the WASE be also booked in the case for abating murder, as without taking/booking WASE in the case the investigation will not be completed.