Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, has spoken out on behalf of the 45 Naga youth detained in Punjab's Patiala and Ropar District Jails for alleged involvement in cybercrime. He asserts that these individuals are being “falsely implicated.”
Among the detainees, ten hail from the Lotha tribe. The male detainees are currently held in Nabha Jail, Patiala, while the female detainees are in Ropar District Jail.
The plight of these youth was brought to light by Neeraj Punj, a volunteer with Helping Hands, an NGO based in Chandigarh. Speaking at an event in Wokha district on Tuesday, Punj detailed the situation.
He revealed that the Naga individuals were arrested following a bust by Punjab Police of two fake call centres in Patiala on May 15, leading to approximately 155 arrests.
“These individuals have been in jail for over a month, enduring extreme temperatures exceeding 46 degrees Celsius,” Punj highlighted, stressing on the harsh conditions faced by the detainees.
Punj also pointed out a significant gap in awareness among the parents of the detained youth regarding their children’s incarceration in Punjab.
“When I contacted the parents, many were completely unaware of their children being locked up in a Punjab jail. Some were apprehensive about the legal process, indicating their limited understanding of the severity of cybercrimes,” he lamented.
In response to the situation, Chief Minister Rio, after a meeting with Advocate General K N Balgopal in New Delhi on Saturday, directed him to personally intervene and deploy a legal team to secure the immediate release of the detained youth.
A report from the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), published in the local press, detailed Rio’s instructions and emphasized the urgency of legal action.
Rio has also instructed the Resident Commissioner in-charge of Nagaland House in New Delhi to maintain contact with the families of the detained youth and provide necessary assistance.
Families have been urged to cooperate with the Government of Nagaland by providing all relevant information to facilitate the release of their children.
Punj further stressed the need to scrutinize the authenticity of recruiting companies that lure unsuspecting individuals from the Northeast under false pretences of employment, subsequently involving them in criminal activities.
“Everything is just a few taps away on Google. The first thing you need to do is verify the contact details of the recruiting company. Check if the company is registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on the MCA website. Also, verify if the physical address provided by the company actually exists,” he advised.
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