IMPHAL: The disturbing video of two Kuki women in Manipur being paraded naked by a mob of Meitei men in Manipur has stirred a massive controversy, with the state and central governments being pushed to the edge over the incident.
The BJP governments – both at the Centre and in Manipur have been slammed by almost all sections of the society across the country for failing to protect the dignity of women.
On May 4, just a day after violent ethnic clashes broke out between the Kuki and Meitei communities in Manipur, two Kuki women were stripped naked and then paraded on the streets of a village.
The incident took place at a village in Kangpokpi district of Manipur.
But what triggered this shameful incident?
According to sources, it was a fake news of a Meitei woman being raped in Manipur, which resulted in anger among people in the area and triggered the shameful incident.
Sources informed that a mob of nearly 1000 people, armed with weapons, stormed into a Kuki-dominated village in Kangpokpi district of Manipur on May 4 after believing in the fake rape news that got circulated on social media like wildfire.
The attackers are believed to be affiliated to Meitei vigilante groups in Manipur.
While the chaos ensued during the attack on the village by the Meitei mob, five Kuki villagers, including two men and three women, escaped to a nearby forest and were later rescued by the police.
However, they were abducted from police custody by the mob of Meitei men while being taken to the Nongpok Sekmai police station.
While, one of the men was killed almost immediately by the unruly mob of Meitei men, the three women were forced to strip naked.
According to information received thus far, two of the three Kuki women were paraded naked by the mob of Meitei men and gang-raped one of them in a field.
On the other hand, 19-year-old brother of one of the two victims was also killed by the mob, when he tried to stop them from sexually assaulting his sister.