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Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 3
The arrest of two suspected cattle thieves in Longtho, Mokokchung district, has had biased versions of the incident emerging, with potential for disturbing inter-state border relations.
On August 3, there was a report of two youths from Nakachari, Jorhat district, Assam, being allegedly held captive in Longtho for unspecified reasons, and their families ransomed for the release of the two.
Reliable sources, aware of the incident, informed that the two youths were apprehended with suspected stolen cattle a few days back and taken into custody by the police.
They were also reportedly captured on CCTV camera, in an earlier instance, while transporting alleged stolen cattle on a pickup truck, leading to their arrest.
Their families reportedly tried to negotiate their release by offering to return the stolen cattle or its worth in cash to the cattle’s owners. The reported proposal was said to have not worked out. The two accused were forwarded to judicial custody in the Mokokchung district headquarters, where they are held in the District Jail as inquiry ensued.
Meanwhile, the Mokokchung police issued a press release, on Saturday evening, about the case. The release from the Superintendent of Police informed that two individuals— Hasim Ali and Zakir Ali, were arrested from the Tsutapela inter-state checkpost on July 29. The police release alleged the two to be habitual cattle thieves, who were said to be residents of Balijan Natun Mali village, Mariani.
Their arrest was preceded by a complaint filed at the Longtho Police Station on July 28, by a local resident, informing about his four missing cows. The complaint was registered under BNS section 303. “During investigation, it was revealed that a gang of cattle thieves had stolen the four cattle at Longtho and another one at Moayimti village and transported them to Assam in a pick-up truck,” the release said.
The pickup (ASO3C 5507) allegedly used for transporting the stolen cattle was also identified and seized.
Investigation of the case further revealed that 3 other accomplices were involved in the theft, two of who were identified as Alfred and Rinku, while the identity of the third was still to be verified. They were evading arrest.
As per the police, they disposed the cattle at Amguri Chariali, Sivasagar. “Police are making efforts to arrest the absconders involved in the crime. Police stations have been instructed to remain highly vigilant to prevent such crimes and firmly deal with those criminals as per the law,” the release said.
It lauded the Longtho PS for the “timely arrest” of the alleged cattle thieves, who have been said to be active in the inter-state borders areas.
This report, originally published without police input, has been updated with information released by the Mokokchung police, on August 4.
