Assam youth shot dead in Arunachal, Mising groups announce indefinite border blockade

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 14, 2025

In a disturbing incident that has reignited tensions between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, Shankar Pegu (22), a construction labourer from Borajuli village in Assam’s Biswanath district, died early Monday at Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) in Naharlagun, hours after being shot in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Dibang Valley district.

According to police reports, Pegu was shot around 4 PM on Sunday in the Kebali area of Roing, following a dispute over financial matters. The alleged shooter, Tadar Bhai (31) from Sagalee in Papum Pare district, reportedly fired at Pegu, hitting him in the leg and head.

What has baffled investigators is the accused’s decision to drive over 400 km to Naharlagun with the injured man instead of taking him to nearby hospitals in Roing or Dibrugarh. Pegu was finally admitted to TRIHMS around 11 PM, but succumbed to his injuries by 3:50 AM the next morning.

Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Chukhu Apa and Lower Dibang Valley SP Ringu Ngupok confirmed that Tadar Bhai has been arrested, and the weapon used in the crime has been recovered. A case has been registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (for murder) and Section 27(1) of the Arms Act at Roing Police Station. A police team took the accused into custody at TRIHMS around 2 AM on Monday.

Pegu is survived by his wife, two young daughters, and his parents.

The killing has triggered widespread condemnation and a call for justice from the Mising community in Assam. Several community organisations, including the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), Mising Mimag Kebang (MMK), and Takam Mising Mimé Kebang (TMMK), have announced an indefinite blockade of all roads connecting Assam and Arunachal Pradesh starting Tuesday at 7 AM.

According to TMPK president Tilak Doley, the blockade will cover major border checkpoints including Banderdewa, Hollongi, Likabali, Roing (Shantipur), Namsai (Dirak), Gerukamukh, and others.

“After the killing of Prabash Doley last month, we were promised a dialogue with Arunachal authorities. That never happened. Now another youth from our community has been killed. The government cannot look away again,” said Tilak.

Prabash Doley (22), also from Assam, was allegedly murdered on June 18 near Chimpu in Itanagar by a man named Tai John. With two Mising youths killed within a month, tempers are running high.

Calling both killings “brutal and merciless,” the Mising organisations issued a joint statement demanding accountability from the Arunachal Pradesh government. “Enough is enough. We are united in our grief and rage. Justice must be served, or the unrest will grow.”

The blockade is expected to significantly impact interstate transport and trade, but the protesting groups have appealed to the public for solidarity, framing the agitation as a fight for justice, safety, and dignity for Assam’s indigenous communities.