IMPHAL: Manipur police on Thursday morning arrested one of the accused persons who paraded naked two tribal women and groped them on camera on May 4, a day after the ethnic violence between Meiteis and Kukis broke out in the state. Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the government was considering actions, including capital punishment for the accused persons.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) alleged the two survivors were also gang-raped. The incident came to light on Wednesday after a video of it had gone viral on social media.
“My heart goes out to the two women who were subjected to a deeply disrespectful and inhumane act, as shown in the distressing video that surfaced yesterday. After taking a Suo-moto cognisance of the incident immediately after the video surfaced, the Manipur Police swung to action and made the first arrest this morning,” Singh tweeted.
“A thorough investigation is currently underway and we will ensure strict action is taken against all the perpetrators, including considering the possibility of capital punishment. Let it be known, there is absolutely no place for such heinous acts in our society,” he further wrote.
A case of abduction, gangrape, murder etc has been already registered by the police against unknown armed miscreants. The police said an all-out effort was being made to arrest all the culprits at the earliest.
The ITLF said the incident had occurred at B Phainom village in Kangpokpi district.
“The gangrape of the women happened after the village was burnt down and two men – one middle-aged and another a teenager – were beaten to death by the mob,” the tribal organisation said.
It demanded that the Centre, Manipur government, National Commission for Women and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes take cognisance of the offence and initiate necessary actions against the culprits.
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According to a senior police official the incident took place on May 4 in Manipur’s Thoubal district and a case of abduction, gang rape and murder has been registered in the matter.
Superintendent of Police (SP), K Meghachandra Singh in a statement on July 19 said "As regards the video of 2 (two) women paraded naked by unknown armed miscreants on 4th May 2023, a case of abduction, gangrape and murder was registered at Nongpok Sekmai Police Station (Thoubal district) against unknown armed miscreants.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning spoke said he is pained over the incident and said the incident is "shameful for any civil society."
"No accused will be spared, we will never forgive those who are behind this," the Prime Minister said.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Monsoon session of the Parliament today, PM Modi said, "This a shameful incident for any society..who did this and who is responsible is another issue but this has put our nation to shame. I appeal to all chief ministers to tighten law and order. Whether it is Rajasthan, Chattisgarh or Manipur...the issue of a woman's honour is above all politics.
Manipur has been witnessing violence since May 3, following the protests by the Kuki and Naga communities against the High Court's order asking the state government to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the category of Scheduled Tribes (ST). Only STs can buy lands in hilly areas.
The majority Meitei community, which occupies the Imphal valley and nearby areas, sought the ST status keeping in view their increasing population and increased requirement of land so that they could purchase lands in the hilly areas.
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(With inputs from PTI)