IMPHAL: A middle-aged tribal man has been sentenced to three months in jail by a court for sexually assaulting and harassing a female student from Don Bosco College (Autonomous) Maram in Senapati district of Manipur.
The chief judicial magistrate of Kangpokpi in Manipur issued the sentence on Wednesday (May 22), sending the accused, Kangba Moses of Maram Ramlong village, to Sajiwa jail in Imphal East district.
According to the Manipur police report, the incident occurred at around 7 PM last Friday, as the victim was preparing for her sixth-semester exams.
Moses allegedly barged into her room, locked the door, and molested her.
The girl managed to break free and called for help, prompting neighbours and the house owner to intervene.
The assault took place just a few meters from the college premises.
An FIR was registered at the Senapati Women’s Police Station, leading to Moses’s arrest the next day.
In response to the incident, a Joint Action Committee (JAC) formed on May 18, organized a lightning bandh along NH-2, demanding justice for the victim and swift legal action against the perpetrator.
On Wednesday (May 22), a large crowd of women gathered in front of the court, holding placards with messages such as ‘Justice delayed is justice denied’, ‘No justice, no peace’, ‘Respect women’, ‘Guilty to be punished’, ‘We trust the law’, ‘Stop harassing women’, and ‘Girls are not play toys’. Several organizations, including the Maram Students’ Union (MKS), Poumai Naga Students’ Union (PNTM), Mao Students’ Union (MSU), Maram Ramlung Students’ and Youth Organisation (MRSYO), management, staff, and students of Don Bosco College (Autonomous), Maram, Mao Youth & Students Organisation (MYSO), Makhan Union (MU), Senapati District Students’ Association (SDSA), Senapati District Women Association (SDWA), Mao Students’ Union, Senapati (MSUS), Maram Women Union (MWU), Poumai Naotumai Me (PNM), Senapati District Catholic Union (SDCU), and Naga People’s Organisation (NPO), have strongly condemned the sexual assault.