Nagaland youths detained in Punjab, ‘Helping Hands’ seeks state action

WOKHA — Neeraj Punj, a volunteer with the ‘Helping Hands’ organisation and a lecturer at Punjab University, has appealed to the Nagaland government to intervene on behalf of Naga youths detained by the Punjab police.

Helping Hands is a non-profit organisation founded by police officer Robin Hibu, which provides support to north-eastern citizens in distress.

According to Punj, who is currently in Wokha town, the Punjab police arrested around 155 youths, including 45 from Nagaland, on May 15 in connection with working in fake call centres. He expressed concern that a month has passed since the arrests but the state government has not reached out to the youths or provided any support.

He went on to say that he is actively in touch with some families of the detained youths and is still trying to trace some of them.

Highlighting their plight, he requested the state government to intervene, urging for their early release and assistance.

Punj also said that he has taken up the matter with Nagaland Lok Sabha MP, S Supongmeren Jamir on June 18, when the latter was in Wokha town for an election campaign, and handed over details of the detained youths.

Meanwhile, the press secretary of Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton and in-charge of Home, informed this newspaper that the home department has taken cognisance of the matter.

A state police official in the rank of SP has reached Delhi on Wednesday to take stock of the situation and updates would be provided accordingly, he said.

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