Forty one members of Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) from Dzongu have been arrested

Gangtok, Feb 09: Forty one members of Affected Citizens of Teesta (ACT) from Dzongu have been arrested by North Sikkim police on charges of arson and rioting at the project damsite of the controversial Panan hydel power project.
The arrests were made on the complaint of Himagiri hydroengery private limited, project developers of the 280 MW Panan hydel project. There are 8 ladies among the arrested lot.
The district administration informed that the arrests were made on the complaint since the accused persons vandalized the project site, destroyed machinery and also tried to set fire, destroy the magazine stores containing explosives and stole explosives from the site after criminal trespass. The incident took place at the project dam site at Lingzya in Upper Dzongu yesterday on the occasion of the 600th day of the relay hunger strike by ACT going at BL house in Gangtok.
According to the project developers, more than 50 lakhs worth equipments have been destroyed by ACT supporters. The project developers are also claiming the missing of some explosive items – 298 boxes of electronic detonators, 88.75 kgs of gelatin and 1000 m of cordex wire from the spot.
Following the complaint, a team led by Mangan police station PI Rajesh Tamang arrested 43 ACT members. Two were released later as they were minors.
The arrested includes ACT general secretary Dawa Lepcha, Tenzing Lepcha, Sangha of Dzongu president Ligden Lama and Concerned Lepchas of Sikkim president Gyatso Lepcha.
The ACT members have been charged under 6 different sections 143 of the IPC for being members of unlawful assembly and section 147 for rioting, 149 for offence committed by unlawful assembly, 436 for arson and fire mischief, 379 for theft of explosives and 447 criminal trespasses.
Police said that ACT had no permission to stage the rally and a huge ACT group had gathered at Lingdong, Upper Dzongu and approached Lingzya where the incident occurred as they entered the dam site and engaged in unlawful activity.
The arrested persons were produced before the court of the district magistrate North and they were remanded to three days police custody for investigations. 'Investigations are still on', police said.
On the other hand, ACT members accused the project developers of engaging in illegal works after the land acquisition terms have elapsed. The Panan area is an isolated area and to store explosives in these areas are strictly prohibited, they said.
Meanwhile, ACT in a press statement has condemned the 'arbitrary arrests of innocent Lepchas from Dzongu' and accused the police of restoring to third degree interrogation methods.
In the press statement released by ACT chief coordinator Tseten Lepcha, the body has demanded 'immediate and unconditional release' of its members.
ACT also demanded an investigation into the links between the promoters of Panan hydel power project, their primary