All eyes on HDR after Julius arrest

SHILLONG: After the arrest of  Mawhati legislator Julius Dorphang, all eyes are now on Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh as to whether he will step down to facilitate a fair probe into the series of rape cases involving a 14-year-old girl from Ichamati.
The trafficking and sex racket case first surfaced on December 15 night after the girl complained to police after she was sexually abused twice at Marvelene’s Inn at Rilbong run by the family of the Home Minister.
There is demand from several quarters that Lyngdoh should step down respecting propriety and that he can come back again as the Home Minister after the culmination of the investigation.
Recently, the Home Minister reiterated that there was no reason for him to resign as he was not involved in the crime though the incident happened in the guest house run by his family due to “the carelessness of the waiter”.
However, TUR and CSWO, which will organise a rally against rape of the Ichamati girl and other related cases on January 11, had asserted that the owners of the guest house at Rilbong (HDR’s family) will have to be booked under provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act since they failed to report the matter to the police.
Section 21 (1) (2) of the POCSO Act states that omission to report a crime against a minor attracts punishment.
It may be mentioned that several political parties including the UDP have also demanded the Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh’s resignation.