The recent decision of the state government to send tax & excise joint commissioner Tani Jongkey on ‘compulsory retirement’ as punishment for sexually assaulting a minor girl is a step in the right direction. This is for the first time that the government has heavily punished its own employee, and it will send out a strong message to the society at large. On 2 June, 2017, Jongkey was accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl and booked by the police under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. The government had then initiated an inquiry against him. The mother of the victim, who has been at the forefront, seeking justice for her daughter, defied all odds and kept the battle on.
Despite the pressure exerted on her from several quarters, she never gave up and relentlessly pursued the case. She is an inspiration for the womenfolk of the state. Persons holding powerful positions should not live under the delusion that the law cannot catch them. The arrest of several government officials, including a former deputy commissioner, in the Trans-Arunachal Highway compensation scam, along with the decision to send Tani Jongkey on compulsory retirement, shows that the law does ultimately catch up if you commit crimes. There may be some delay, but in a democratic country one cannot escape from the clutches of the law after breaking it.