Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 13 Nov: The capital police on Sunday arrested Yumken Bagra, a hostel warden of the government residential school in Karo, in Shi-Yomi district, for allegedly molesting minor girls studying at the school.
Bagra was arrested from Papu Nallah area near Naharlagun.
Bagra, who allegedly molested a minor girl in Pidi circle of Shi-Yomi district in early November, had been absconding since 4 November. An FIR [u/s 9 (0) 9 (p) 11 (iii) of the POCSO Act, r/w Section 376/506/511 IPC] was lodged at the Monigong police station in this regard on 4 November.
Sources in the capital police said that the arrest was made in coordination with the Shi-Yomi district police.
Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) SP Jimmy Chiram informed The Arunachal Times that the police here received an input from their Shi-Yomi counterpart on 12 November that Bagra might be hiding in the ICR.
“A team of the capital police, led by Itanagar SDPO Kamdam Sikom, Itanagar PS OC Khiksi Yangfo, Inspector Ongsa Ronrang, and others, along with CRPF personnel raided multiple locations in Statistics Colony, Vivek Vihar and 6 Km areas of Itanagar on 12 November,” the SP said.
Raids were conducted also in Naharlagun, Nirjuli and Papu Nallah areas on 13 November, he added.
“With the help of electronic surveillance and human intelligence, the accused, Yumken Bagra, was traced out at Papu Nallah and apprehended. The process of handing over the accused to the Shi-Yomi police is on,” Chiram said.
The alleged molestation incident had sparked protests in Mechukha, Tato and Monigong by various organisations, demanding early arrest of the accused.
Meanwhile, Mechukha MLA and Legislative Assembly Speaker PD Sona lauded the capital police for arresting the accused.
Taking to social media, he said: “I commend capital police led by SP capital Jimmy Chiram & his team for arresting the accused. I thank West Siang district administration & police for their constant support to Shi-Yomi administration & police in the case.”
“Now that the accused is behind bars, I appeal to the public to cooperate with the administration and maintain law and order. I hope that justice shall be delivered to the victims,” he said.
APWWS welcomes arrest
The Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS) has lauded the capital police for arresting Bagra, and expressed hope that the police would “investigate the matter promptly and judiciously for exemplary punishment as per the laid down law.”
The case had first been brought to the notice of the Mechukha branch of the APWWS, which raised the issue with the relevant authorities.
