Arunachal IAS Officer Surrenders to Police in Shocking Suicide Probe Linked to Harassment Claims

In a development that has intensified scrutiny on public officials in Arunachal Pradesh, authorities arrested senior IAS officer Talo Potom in Itanagar on Monday, shortly after he turned himself in amid allegations tied to a young man’s tragic death.

Potom, previously the deputy commissioner of the Itanagar Capital Region and currently assigned as special undersecretary in the state public works department based in Delhi, had evaded capture following the issuance of a lookout notice. The case stems from the suicide of 19-year-old Gomchu Yekar on October 23, whose final note implicated Potom and fellow official Likwang Lowang in acts of sexual harassment and coercion. Yekar, employed as a multi-tasking staff member during Potom’s time in the capital region, claimed in the note that the ordeal had led him to contract HIV.

Lowang, whose name also featured prominently in the note, took his own life mere hours after the details emerged publicly, adding layers of sorrow to an already devastating incident. Potom’s decision to surrender came after days on the run, leading to his immediate detention by the Arunachal Pradesh Police.

The first information report (FIR) lodged against Potom encompasses serious charges, including abetment to suicide, criminal intimidation, corruption, and violations under the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act. Investigators are delving deeper into the note’s contents and the relationships involved, as the episode unfolds against a backdrop of widespread public anger over accountability in government circles.

As news of the arrest spread, relatives of Yekar gathered in protest outside the Nirjuli police station, voicing fervent demands that Potom be barred from securing bail. Their demonstration underscored the raw grief and calls for justice that have gripped the community, highlighting vulnerabilities faced by junior employees in administrative setups.

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This sequence of events has cast a stark light on issues of workplace misconduct and mental health support within Arunachal’s bureaucracy, with officials now navigating the fallout from a case that began with one life lost and rapidly escalated into a cascade of despair. The police have yet to release further updates on the probe, but the incident continues to resonate across the state.