Hostel warden, Yumken Bagra

Itanagar: In an alarming incident, a case of rampant sexual abuse, molestation, and harassment of students at a government residential school in Arunachal Pradesh has come to light. 

The accused, identified as Yumken Bagra, 33, and a hostel warden at the Karo Residential School in Shi-Yomi district has been charged with multiple counts of aggravated penetrative assault, sexual assault, molestation, and sexual harassment against 21 victims, including 15 females and 6 males.

The heinous crimes reportedly took place between 2014 and 2022, with the victims ranging from 6 to 14 years of age at the time of committing the offenses. 

According to a written complaint lodged at PS Monigong on November 1 last year, the accused forcibly subjected the minor victims to unimaginable acts, including touching his/her private parts, kissing, pressing their breasts, and forcing them to watch pornographic material.

The severity of the allegations led the authorities to transfer the case to the special investigation team (SIT) of the state police for a comprehensive investigation. 

SP (SIT) Rohit Rajbir Singh said that as part of the inquiry, medical examinations and age verification of the minor victims were conducted, confirming that all the victims were minors when the crimes were committed against them.

“The shocking discovery of sexually explicit photos and videos on the accused’s phone provided damning evidence against him. Furthermore, medicines containing antihistamine drugs were found and seized from the perpetrator. Investigators believe that the accused fed these drugs to the victims before the commission of the crimes, causing drowsiness and making them more vulnerable,” the SP said. 

Tragically, during the course of the investigation, it was revealed that six of the victims had attempted suicide, emphasizing the traumatic impact these heinous acts had on their lives. 

The accused reportedly threatened to harm the victims further if they dared to disclose the abuse to anyone.

The case has taken a new turn with the arrest of one D Pertin, a relative of the accused, under Section 212 IPC for harboring the alleged perpetrator.

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