It will be most painful for any individual with a minimum degree of conscience to go through the details of what happened with Dampa Dubi, the 6-year old girl child from Daporijo in Upper Subansiri district who died in the capital on March 1. But it is true and will come as yet another shock for the state’s people at a time when the brutal murder case of Techi Meena and her unborn child is vivid in memory. The initial details of the case which have just surfaced suggest that the death hasn’t come all of a sudden and the ordeal went on for as many as 40 days. Arunachal hasn’t seen instances of such brutalities in recent memory and with a heavy heart it can only be wished that the offenders are given the highest punishment of the law of the land. It’s most puzzling that when the voices for protecting the girl children are getting stronger and reaching wide, crimes of this sort are emerging back to back.

It is most disturbing also to note that the perpetrators of these emerging crimes are the near and dear ones of the victims. In Techi Meena’s case, it was a meticulously planned murder which was conducted under the veil of an accident and her husband has been proved to be involved after an investigation process and submission of charge sheet. It was only last week that the Special Court, POCSO, Khonsa convicted a man on charges of aggravated sexual assault on his own daughter and sentenced him to 7-year rigorous imprisonment. In Dubi’s case which will create a storm in the state, it’s also the relatives on whom her father showed trust and was unfortunately proved wrong. Why this is happening again and again is very difficult to ascertain and there is no ready-made answer at the moment. However, it is happening all across the country and those which are reported create a flutter for a few days and die out within no time, until a new one happens to rekindle the issue. The latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) will tell where the country stands now in terms of women’s and girl child’s safety. Perhaps the multiple faculties of the branches of psychology, social sciences and criminology will be more fitter to arrive at a cause and suggest remedies.

The only silver lining for Arunachal is that the police have been successful in cracking the recent cases and there is also momentum on the part of the judiciary in delivering justice. It’s most essential that the same is repeated in this case also.