Mon Oct 27 10:04:55 UTC 2025: Summary:

An IAS officer, Talo Potom, surrendered to police in Arunachal Pradesh after being named in a suicide note left by a deceased teenager accusing him of sexual harassment. The teen also implicated an executive engineer, Likwang Lowang, who was found dead shortly after the accusations surfaced. Potom, who had been on leave, denied the charges in a video statement prior to his surrender, claiming he had no personal relationship with the deceased. Police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.

News Article:

IAS Officer Surrenders in Arunachal Pradesh Following Teen’s Suicide and Harassment Allegations

GUWAHATI, October 27, 2025 – Talo Potom, an IAS officer serving as Secretary in the Public Works Department in Delhi, surrendered to police in Arunachal Pradesh on Monday in connection with the death of a 19-year-old who accused him of sexual harassment in a suicide note.

Potom surrendered at the Nirjuli police station after a lookout notice was issued in his name on October 25. The case stems from the death of the teenager, who was found at his rented accommodation in Papum Pare district on October 23. The victim’s father filed an FIR, stating that multiple handwritten notes were recovered accusing Potom and Likwang Lowang, an executive engineer in the State’s Rural Works Department, of sexual exploitation and harassment. The note alleged that the victim was driven to suicide due to continuous humiliation, coercion, and threats.

Tragically, Lowang was also found dead at his residence in Tirap district on the same day the teen’s body was discovered, hours after the accusations against him became public.

Nyelam Nega, Superintendent of Police in Naharlagun, confirmed Potom’s arrest and stated that he will be produced before a magistrate. Potom, who was on leave in his home state, had released a video statement denying the allegations, claiming he had no personal relationship with the deceased, whom he had appointed as a contractual multi-tasking staff member when he was Deputy Commissioner in Itanagar. He urged respect for the law and stated his surrender was intended to allow for a fair investigation.

Potom has been named as a prime accused in the FIR registered by the Nirjuli police under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita of 2023. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone experiencing distress or suicidal thoughts is urged to seek help. Suicide prevention helpline numbers in Arunachal Pradesh are 14416, 1800-89-14416.

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