ITANAGAR, Feb 8: Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Bamang Felix on Thursday said police have identified the perpetrators involved in the killing of former MLA Yumsem Matey.
Matey, who represented Khonsa West assembly constituency in Tirap district, was shot dead on December 16 by unknown assailants near the Indo-Myanmar border in Lazu circle of the district. He served as an MLA from 2009 to 2014 on a Congress ticket.
Taking part in the obituary reference in the House, Felix, while strongly condemning the killing, said the perpetrators of the crime were identified the next day and they had come through the porous India-Myanmar international border.
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As it was a cross border crime, police recommended the investigation of the case to Police Headquarters (PHQ), Itanagar, he said.
He said the volatile nature of the case forced the PHQ to recommend the case to the home department, which in turn, recommended the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on December 21.
“The NIA has already started the investigation,” the minister said, adding that no one would be spared.
Terming the killing as an attack on the people of the state, the minister said police are providing full cooperation and support to the NIA to deliver justice to Matey.
Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein while condemning the killing said peace is a prerequisite for development.
Earlier, Assembly speaker PD Sona led the House in paying tributes to the former lawmaker.
“The death of Yumsem Matey has created a vacuum. In his death, the state has lost a visionary leader,” the speaker said.
Majority of the speakers demanded strong measures against insurgent groups active in the region and strong vigil along the Indo-Myanmar border.
Department of Tirap, Changlang and Longding (DoTCL) Minister Wangki Lowang claimed that the international border was not properly guarded.
He also claimed that insurgents and anti-social elements are having a ‘free-hand’ in the TCL region.
Citing the killing of former MP Wangcha Rajkumar in 2007 and former MLA Tirong Aboh in 2019 and others by insurgent groups active in the region, Lowang said many women have been widowed and children orphaned.
“I request the Centre through the state government to ensure foolproof security and protection of the citizens,” he said.
State RWD minister Honchun Ngandam, MLAs Laisam Simai, Gabriel D Wangsu, Chakat Aboh and Tangpho Wangnaw also paid tributes to Matey.
The House observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the departed soul. (PTI)
