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3 Arunachal school staff convicted for sexual assault of 21 minor students
The case came to light in November 2022 when a parent lodged a complaint alleging that his 12-year-old twin daughters’ hostel warden had sexually assaulted, harassed, molested and attempted to rape them at the residential school
A special POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) court at Yupia in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday held a hostel warden, a former headmaster and a teacher of a government residential school guilty for sexual assault of 21 minor students, both boys and girls, over a period of several years.
Special judge Jaweplu Chai held the main accused, hostel warden Yumken Bagra, former headmaster Singtung Yorpen and Hindi teacher Marbom Ngomdir guilty under several provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and POCSO Act.
Two other accused, Daniel Pertin and Tajung Yorpen, were acquitted. Sentencing of the three accused, which was scheduled on Wednesday, has been postponed till Thursday, said a lawyer of the students.
“The sentencing got pushed back by a day as the prosecution as well as us sought maximum and exemplary punishment for all accused since it’s a very rare case in our state. We prayed for death sentence for Bagra, life sentence to Ngomdir and 10-years imprisonment for Yorpen,” said Oyam Bingepp, lawyer of the students.
Bagra was convicted under Section 328 of IPC (administering poison/harmful substance with the intention of committing an offence) and sections 6,10 and 12 of POCSO Act (aggravated penetrative sexual assault, sexual harassment). Punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault can range from 20 years imprisonment to life sentence and even death.
Ngomdir was convicted under Section 506 of IPC (criminal intimidation) and sections 17 and 21 (1) of POCSO Act for abetment of offence and failing to report an offence. Punishment for abetment of an offence, which in this case is aggravated penetrative sexual assault, can be the same under Section 6 of POCSO Act.
Yorpen, who was the headmaster of the government residential school in Shi Yomi district, was convicted under sections 17 for abetment of an offence and 21 (2) for failing to report an offence despite being in charge of the institution.
The case came to light in November 2022 when a parent lodged a complaint at the Monigong police station in Shi Yomi district alleging that Bagra had sexually assaulted, harassed, molested and attempted to rape his 12-year-old twin daughters at the residential school.
The investigation, later handed over to a special investigation team (SIT), had revealed that Bagra had sexually assaulted 21 minors, including 6 boys, aged between 6-14 years from 2014 to 2022 while posted as a hostel warden in the school. It was found that the warden used to give medicines to the students that made them drowsy or sleepy before he committed the crimes.
It had also come to light that there were six attempts by the students to die by suicide and Bagra had threatened to kill the students if they disclosed about the assaults to anyone.
