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Dimapur, Nov. 4 (EMN): In a shocking incident, three minors including a 9-year-old girl from Longwa village of Mon district were reportedly abused physically and mentally by a woman named Ronika Miachieo, who resides in Burma Camp, Dimapur, and claimed to be an environmentalist.
The main accused, Miachieo, is absconding while the co-accused named Amos Ezung was arrested by the police on November 3 in connection with the case, Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) and PRO Dimapur, Bharat Laxman Markad, informed Eastern Mirror on Friday.
It may be mentioned that the duo – the main accused and co-accused – was involved in various projects including beautification of dumping sites in Dimapur by collaborating with the Dimapur Municipal Council and Ezung is said to be the chief manager of waste management. They were also involved in the recent felling of trees at Supermarket area in Dimapur, initiated after strong winds brought down two trees, killing two persons.
The police officer informed that the victims -- a 9-year-old girl, and 10-year-old and 13-year-old boys -- were rescued from the house of the main accused on October 19 before a case was registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Juvenile Justice Act and Child Labour Provision Act, at the Women Police Station on October 31, at around 6 pm. He added that they have been trying to arrest the accused but is gone absconding.
Miachieo used to visit Longwa village often, claiming to be an environmentalist and missionary, and convinced the families of the victims that she would help by sending them to school, the police informed.
However, it turned out that the children were not sent to school after bringing them to Dimapur, but instead harassed them physically and mentally.
A source informed that the accused brought one of the children to Dimapur in 2020 and the other two in 2022, saying that she would send them to school. It added that the accused would say the children were taking online classes whenever the parents or relatives asked her about and would not allow visitors to meet them.
Laxman Markad said that incident came to light only when one of the uncles of the 13-year-old boy came to meet the children on October 13, but he could not meet. When he made another attempt on October 19, the kids were found inside the house but the gate was locked from inside and he was not allowed to meet them.
That was when the elders of the colony intervened and helped the uncle of the 13-year-old boy. The children were, then, rescued and reported to the Childline, following which it was found out that the children were in bad condition physically and one of them was very weak, informed the police officer.
He added that there were signs of physical and mental torture according to the counsellors of children and one of the boys, aged 10, had to be admitted at Eden Hospital for about one week as he was critically ill.
Another person came to light during the investigation and the statements made by the victims and witnesses, leading to the arrest of Amos Ezung, he continued.
When asked about the delay in filing the first information report (FIR), the police officer said that the victims’ families, who are economically poor, thought that the accused would express remorse (for the harassment). However, she did not even bother to take care of the children’s medical needs, following which they decided to lodge a complaint two weeks after the incident happened.
The Chakhro Angami Kuda Union (CAKU), Chakhro Kuda Razha Angamimiapfü Krotho (CKRAK), Chakhro Angami Kuda Youth Organisation (CAKYO) and Chakhro Angami Kuda Students' Union (CAKSU) have condemned the physical abuse of three minors by one Ronika Miachieo and appealed to the law enforcing agencies to deliver justice by punishing the culprit according to the law.
“The severe physical injury inflicted upon the minors kept in her custody is extremely heinous and cannot be tolerated in a civilised society,” read its press release.
CAKU and its frontal bodies further said “that no member of the community should try to bail out the alleged culprit”. It also expressed its “sincere and heartfelt sympathy to the victims and pray that they will quickly recover from their trauma”.