Itanagar: So far, eight minor girls—aged between six and nine—have undergone medical examinations following allegations of sexual abuse at a private school hostel in Roing, Lower Dibang Valley district.
The case, which has shocked the state, has brought to light glaring lapses in hostel security and supervision, even as the accused—a 19-year-old migrant labourer—was lynched by a mob on Friday.
The deceased has been identified as Riaz-Ul Kurim from Bongaigaon, Assam.
According to the police, the victims, all boarders at the school, were allegedly assaulted over the course of a week by Kurim, who had been employed at a nearby construction site.
“The hostel lacked basic safety infrastructure as there were no grills on the windows and no functional locks on the sliding doors, leaving the children exposed and vulnerable,” a senior police officer involved in the investigation said.
The accused had unhindered access to the hostel premises. The absence of secure barriers and proper oversight made it easy for him to approach the girls during the night, he added.
Lower Dibang Valley superintendent of police, Ringu Ngupok, said the matter came to light after a student filed a complaint with the school authorities.
“A parent-teacher meeting was convened on Thursday evening around 6:30 pm. At approximately 8:30 pm, we received information that the parents and relatives of the victims had begun assaulting all the labourers working at the construction site. As tensions escalated, Kurim fled the scene and went missing. We rescued all 17 labourers and later released them after recording their statements,” the SP said.
On Friday, Kurim was traced to a nearby colony by the victims’ parents and local youths. He was thrashed before the police intervened and took him into custody.
However, the mob followed, broke into the police station, forcibly removed the youth from custody, and assaulted him—ignoring repeated appeals for calm from the police and even the local MLA.
He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but the mob followed again and attacked him a second time. He succumbed to his injuries shortly thereafter.
Police have registered multiple cases related to child sexual abuse, mob lynching, etc. Investigations are also underway against the school and hostel management for gross negligence and failure to ensure the safety of the children, however, no arrests have been made so far.
Meanwhile, a curfew has been imposed in Roing town and additional security forces have been deployed to maintain law and order.
“The situation in Roing remains tense but is under control. The school and its hostel have been shut down indefinitely by the district administration and parents have been instructed to withdraw their children and enroll them in nearby government or recognized private schools,” SP Ngupok said.
A team from the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR), led by chairperson Ratan Anya and member Nguarang Achung, is also currently in Roing to conduct an independent inquiry into the matter.
A post-mortem on the deceased was conducted on Saturday afternoon in the presence of a judicial magistrate.
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