ITANAGAR, 30 Sep: The Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS) on Saturday expressed serious concern over the allegation that Rajiv Gandhi University’s (RGU) Commerce Associate Professor Dr Philip Modi sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl.
The incident reportedly occurred on 24 September, when the child had gone to the house of the alleged accused, who is her neighbour in the RGU campus.
The child’s parents lodged a complaint at the Itanagar women police station on 25 September. Following this, the alleged accused was arrested, and a case under Section 376 of the IPC and Section 4 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 has been registered against the accused.
Stating that the number of sexual assault cases involving children in the state has been increasing, the APWWS said that “it is disheartening to learn that individuals in positions of power are increasingly implicated in such heinous acts.”
“The most recent case brought to our attention involves Rajiv Gandhi University, where Dr Philip Modi has been accused of sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl. We met with the survivor’s parents on Thursday,” APWWS president Kani Nada Maling stated in a release.
“Children and their families go through unimaginable psychological trauma that can last a lifetime. We appreciate the prompt action taken by the police in arresting the accused, and urge them to conduct a thorough investigation to ensure there are no lapses,” she said.
The APWWS also requested the state government to “take prompt action in establishing the new Arunachal Pradesh Commission for Protection of Child Rights.”
