Outrage over alleged sexual assaults on young girls at Mount Carmel School hostel culminated in a mob breaking into Roing police station, dragging out the accused 17-year-old, and lynching him. The fatal act of vigilante justice has forced a curfew in the town.
BY PC Bureau
July 12, 2025: A 17-year-old boy accused of sexually assaulting several minor girls at a private school hostel was lynched by a mob in Roing on Friday, triggering a curfew and the closure of Mount Carmel School. The incident has drawn widespread condemnation, reignited concerns over vigilante justice, and exposed serious security lapses at educational institutions.
According to police, the boy — a construction laborer from Assam’s Barpeta district — was arrested on Thursday, July 10, after a complaint was filed by the parent of one of the alleged victims. The assaults reportedly occurred inside the girls’ hostel of Mount Carmel School, where the victims, aged between 5 and 7, were staying.
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On Friday afternoon, a crowd gathered outside the Roing police station where the accused was in custody. Fueled by outrage over reports that the teenager had molested multiple children, the mob broke into the station, dragged the accused out, and assaulted him. Though police briefly rescued him and took him to a hospital, he was allegedly dragged out again and fatally lynched before reinforcements arrived.
Mob lynches rape accused in Roing, Arunachal.
The youth, held under POCSO Act, raped 20 students and molested 3 others, aged 6-8. pic.twitter.com/W8z3V4bZGQ
— Treeni (@TheTreeni) July 11, 2025
Authorities have since imposed a curfew across Roing town to restore order. Additional police and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel have been deployed, and Mount Carmel School has been ordered to shut indefinitely from July 12.
School Faces Scrutiny Over Security Lapses
Parents of the alleged victims have expressed outrage at the school administration, questioning how a non-staff adult could repeatedly access a secure hostel. Preliminary reports suggest the accused exploited security gaps during late evening hours to enter the girls’ quarters undetected.
“Our children were supposed to be safe in that hostel,” said a parent. “How was an outsider allowed in multiple times without anyone noticing?”
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Medical examinations of the victims are currently underway to establish the extent of the alleged abuse. Police have confirmed that a postmortem has been conducted on the deceased.
Conflicting Reports on Number of Victims
There are discrepancies in the number of children affected. While some reports cite at least seven victims, others suggest as many as 20 may have been molested or raped. Police say the investigation is ongoing and all findings will be verified through medical evidence and witness statements.
The identity of the accused has also drawn conflicting reports, with some referring to him as a teenager and others as an adult laborer. Officials have urged the public and media to refrain from speculation until investigations are complete.
Authorities Condemn Mob Action
The lynching has drawn sharp criticism from human rights observers and local officials, who warned against the dangers of vigilante justice.
“The law must take its course,” a district official said. “Mob violence only undermines our justice system, no matter how serious the allegations.”
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The incident has drawn parallels to the 2015 Dimapur lynching in Nagaland, where a man accused of rape was similarly pulled out of jail and killed by a mob.
Public Urged to Remain Calm
District authorities have appealed for calm and asked citizens to avoid circulating unverified information online. The police have launched a separate investigation to identify those involved in the mob attack and restore faith in the rule of law.
The Roing incident underscores the urgent need to reinforce safety measures in hostels and educational institutions across the Northeast, while also addressing the growing trend of mob justice in emotionally charged cases.
