Arunachal: Anti-dam activist Tajong Talom Detained Again Shortly After Release from Pasighat Jail
Anti-dam activist and youth leader Tajong Talom was detained again by police minutes after walking free on bail from Pasighat Jail on Wednesday evening,
PASIGHAT- Anti-dam activist and youth leader Tajong Talom was detained again by police minutes after walking free on bail from Pasighat Jail on Wednesday evening, turning a moment of family reunion into fresh tension.
Talom, a resident of Pasighat and one of the prominent faces of local opposition to the proposed 11,200-MW Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP), had been in custody since October 24 in connection with violence that erupted during protests on October 23–24.
Those protests, which began as opposition to the mega-dam, saw incidents of arson and vandalism, including the burning of an NHPC office, partial damage to the Pasighat police station, and alleged attacks on residences of Adi legislators and political leaders. Multiple cases were registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.
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The District and Sessions Court, Pasighat, granted him bail earlier on Wednesday. He was released around 4:30 PM and stepped out to a waiting crowd of family members and supporters. Police personnel present outside the jail gate immediately moved in and took him into custody again in full view of those gathered, sparking confusion and anger.
Sources indicated that the fresh detention is linked to another case arising from the same series of protests, though authorities had not issued an official statement clarifying the grounds by evening. However talking to advocates, and Media a police officer said, we are still investigating , because multiple cases has been registered.
Talom was earlier intercepted by Assam Police in Sivasagar while traveling toward Delhi, where he had planned to brief national media on the SUMP issue; he was subsequently handed over to Arunachal Pradesh Police. He has consistently denied any role in the violence.
In a video message around the time of his initial detention, he urged people to exercise their right to protest peacefully and non-violently, stating that detentions were linked to the outbreak of violence. He also resigned from the Adi Students’ Union, citing personal pressure and alleged harassment of his family over his opposition to the project.
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Activists including human rights lawyer Ebo Mili and Otul Jerang were also arrested in the same cases (some after surrendering), and several remain in judicial custody. Broader concerns have been raised by groups such as the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum over the project’s potential impact on indigenous communities, land, livelihoods, and the environment in the Siang Valley, alongside large-scale security deployments in the area.
As of late Wednesday, no official police or government statement on the re-detention had been released, and further updates on the grounds and Talom’s status were awaited.
