Guwahati: Senior IAS officer Talo Potom, who was named in an FIR in connection with the alleged sexual abuse and suicide of 19-year-old Gomchu Yekar, has surrendered to the Arunachal Pradesh Police.
Potom had released a video statement before surrendering, calling the allegations against him as ” false and baseless.”
Yekar, a resident of Lekhi in Naharlagun, died by suicide on October 23. In a note recovered by police, he accused Potom and Likwang Lowang, a senior engineer with the Rural Works Department (RWD), of sexual exploitation, intimidation, and mental harassment. As per reports, Yekar also claimed he had contracted HIV and alleged that one of the officers had abandoned and blackmailed him.
Following the emergence of the suicide note, Lowang allegedly shot himself dead in Khonsa, Tirap district. Potom, who was serving as Secretary in the Public Works Department (PWD) under the Delhi government, was reportedly on the run before surrendering.
In his video statement, Potom firmly denied the allegations, maintaining that his interactions with Yekar were strictly professional during his tenure as Deputy Commissioner of Itanagar.
He claimed that the allegations were baseless and that he had no personal relationship or involvement with the deceased beyond administrative work.
The officer explained that Yekar had volunteered with district initiatives such as anti-drug campaigns and social awareness programmes, and was later engaged as a Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) member for his support in these activities. Potom also claimed that Yekar had been involved in extortion-related cases after being transferred from Itanagar in June this year, and that he had blocked Yekar’s number after receiving repeated calls seeking assistance in those cases.
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Addressing the claims about HIV, Potom asserted that Yekar had “tested negative,” and rejected any suggestion linking him to the victim’s health condition or personal life.
The officer expressed full faith in the law and hoped for a fair investigation.
Confirming the development, Special Superintendent of Police (Naharlagun) Nyelam Nega said that Potom is currently in police custody and that the investigation is ongoing.
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