Kohima: A collective of 15 tribal women organizations held a public rally in Kohima on Friday to protest the stalled legal proceedings against an IAS officer accused of sexual harassment. The group marched to Lok Bhavan to submit a memorandum to Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav, calling for a time-bound trial and stricter measures against perpetrators of violence against women and children.
The organizations expressed deep concern over what they described as persistent delay tactics by the accused, Reny Wilfred. According to the memorandum, these maneuvers have severely undermined the justice system. The document stated, "The continued prolongation of the proceedings, despite the filing of the charge sheet, strikes at the very foundation of a fair and expeditious justice delivery system and risks fostering a sense of impunity among perpetrators across society."
The accused officer faces allegations of molesting two minor girls during his tenure as Deputy Commissioner of Noklak, as well as a second case involving sexual harassment of female subordinates during his time as Joint Secretary at IDAN. The victims involved in the latter case have since lost their contractual jobs, leaving them in a state of financial insecurity.
The tribal bodies urged the Governor to ensure that the accused remains under suspension and is barred from any government position if convicted. Their demands also include an immediate halt to what they label as willful legal delays, which have included multiple court petitions that pushed a scheduled trial from June 2026 into July 2026. The memorandum further highlighted a rise in sexual violence across the state, citing recent incidents in Dimapur, Kohima, and Kiphire as evidence that slow prosecution contributes to a culture of impunity.
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