Suspend IAS officer accused of sexual assault: Nagaland students’ body

Representational image.
| Photo Credit: AFP

GUWAHATI: The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has asked the State government not to let an IAS officer accused of sexual assault hold any office of responsibility until the investigation is completed and the final report is released.

The Nagaland government relieved Reny Wilfred as the Joint Secretary of Planning and Transformation and Industrial Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN) on April 4, after the State police filed a first information report against him for alleged sexual assault on several women.

The FIR followed a complaint against the IAS officer forwarded by the Nagaland State Women’s Commission. The complaint was based on the verbal statements of the alleged victims.

In a letter to the State’s Chief Secretary, J. Alam, NSF vice president Mteisuding and general secretary Chumben Khuvung resented the “continued appointment” of Mr. Wilfred in an office of responsibility despite serious allegations of sexual harassment filed against him by female employees under his authority.

They said allowing the IAS officer, who has “repeatedly exhibited” a pattern of inappropriate behaviour, to “continue in a position that enables further abuse of power”.

Cautioning individuals and entities against any attempt to shield the officer or influence the outcome of the probe, the NSF said not suspending Mr. Wilfred “sends a dangerous message to both survivors of workplace harassment and the public at large that institutional protection takes precedence over accountability.”

Earlier, the IAS officer said the charges against him were “counterfactual”.

He told journalists in the State’s capital, Kohima, that he was a victim of a sustained campaign by some top officials who fabricated complaints to threaten his life and career.

Mr. Wilfred said he was first framed in 2016 for an alleged attempt to overthrow the government then. He claimed the 2021 POCSO case against him in the Noklak district was also an attempt to “fix him” after he uncovered a child trafficking network and ordered all villages to maintain registries to check the crime.

“The first complaint took two years to be proven false. I don’t know how long this one (sexual assault) will take,” he said, asserting he would go to any length to ensure the truth prevails.