TRIHMS Director's Residence attacked, Doctors'Association condemns attack

Itanagar: In a shocking incident, an attempt to assault the director of Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS), a renowned figure in establishing Arunachal Pradesh's only medical college was made by a former president of the All Nyishi Youth Association after he allegedly forcibly trespassed into his private residence late at night by ramming his car into the entry gate.

The accused reportedly ransacked the doctor's residence in the wee hours of Wednesday in an attempt to intimidate him. He allegedly gained access to the house by forcefully entering the premises, then damaged the property and attempted to physically assault the doctor.

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Based on the complaint of the doctor, the police registered a case and arrested the 39-year-old accused under sections 331(4) (Punishment for house-trespass or housebreaking), 351 (Criminal intimidation) and 324(b) (Mischief) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The incident took place at around 2:30 am on Wednesday. The doctor has been identified as Dr Moji Jini, a senior pediatric super-specialist and the director of TRIHMS, who is also known for his strong contribution to establishing the only medical college in Arunachal Pradesh.

According to a report by the Arunachal Observer, this is not the first time Dr Moji has faced an attempted assault. In fact, the Daily states that this is the third such incident against the doctor. As a result, his family remains fearful of potential future attacks.

Taking the matter to the higher-ups, the doctor notified the State Chief Minister Pema Khandu regarding the attack on him through a letter and sought his intervention into the matter. He alleged in the letter that the attack is directly linked to the acquisition process of the erstwhile Arunachal Pradesh Youth Congress (APYC) office building located in the centre of TRIHMS land, which has been a matter of discussion since 2019.

Strongly condemning the attempted attack on him, students, faculty members of TRIHMS along with members of the Arunachal Pradesh Doctors’ Association (APDA), the Arunachal chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and TRIHMS Faculty Association (TFA) staged a silent protest on the campus on Thursday demanding strict action against the accused. They further urged the government to amend the Medical Personnel in Service Act to prevent physical intimidation and abuse in the state in future.

TFA President Dr. Rinchin Dorjee Megeji told The Sentinel, "Violence against medical personnel is unacceptable, and the attack on Dr Jini, a respected figure instrumental in establishing TRIHMS, is particularly reprehensible. The association also called for immediate amendments to the Arunachal Pradesh Protection of Medical Service Personnel and Institutions Act 2019."

The Confederation of Service Associations of Arunachal Pradesh (CoSAAP) also expressed concern towards the doctor and called the incident a “barbaric act”. They have also demanded strict legal action against the former president of the All Nyishi Youth Association.

The association in a press release stated, as reported by The Arunachal Times, “He (the accused) is learnt to have been intimidating Dr Jini and his family members since long, demanding ransom and etc. Dr. Jini is the senior most practising doctor (super specialist in pediatric) in the state. He is the man behind the establishment of the lone Medical College of the state. We cannot tolerate such barbaric act of anti- social element in civilized society.”

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