A 16-member team of Assam Police inadvertently entered Nagaland's Mokokchung district while chasing a suspect, thanks to misleading directions from Google Maps, and they were attacked and captured by local residents who mistook them for criminals.
According to a senior official of Assam Police, the team of the Jorhat District Police was carrying out a raid on Tuesday night, but Google Maps showed a tea garden as being in Assam, when in reality it was inside Nagaland. The team went inside Nagaland in pursuit of the criminal due to misleading guidance on GPS.
“Locals, mistaking the police team for criminals, attacked and held them captive overnight. Only three of the 16 personnel were in uniform, which added to the confusion. One police personnel was injured in the scuffle,” he added.
Fortunately, the Jorhat Police quickly intervened, contacting the Mokokchung Superintendent of Police, who sent a team to rescue the captive personnel. Five members, including the injured personnel, were released initially, while the remaining 11 were held captive overnight and released the next morning.