GUWAHATI: A 16-member team of Assam Police found themselves in a rut after relying on Google Maps during a raid, inadvertently entering Nagaland's Mokokchung district.
The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday night and led to the team being attacked and held captive overnight by local residents.
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The raid, carried out by the Jorhat District Police, aimed to apprehend an accused individual. According to a senior Assam Police officer, Google Maps indicated the location to be a tea garden within Assam. However, the actual location was across the state border in Nagaland. The team entered Nagaland due to confusion caused by misleading GPS directions, as stated by the officer.
The misunderstanding reportedly escalated when locals mistook the police team, most of whom were in plain clothes, for armed miscreants. "Thirteen of the 16 officers were in civilian attire, which heightened suspicion among the locals," the official said while talking to the media. The team was reportedly attacked, resulting in one officer sustaining injuries, before being detained by the residents.
“While going for an operation with a suspect in Nagaland, the locals came to know about the motive, we’re attacked by Naga locals. One of our officials was injured in the attack. A 16-member team was captive for a long time,” an official from Teok police station said, while talking to GPlus.
Upon learning of the incident, Jorhat police quickly contacted Mokokchung's Superintendent of Police. A rescue team was dispatched, leading to the release of five officers, including the injured personnel. However, the remaining 11 officers were held captive overnight and were only freed the following morning, as per reports.
The team has since reportedly returned to Jorhat
