Guwahati: A disturbing incident of sexual assault in Manipur has ignited widespread outrage after a video surfaced showing two Kuki women being paraded naked on a road by a group of men from the Meitei community. The victims had allegedly been subjected to gang rape in a nearby field.
The distressing video depicts a mob of men relentlessly molesting helpless women as they are forcibly taken toward a paddy field. Throughout the ordeal, the victims can be heard crying out for help.
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According to a statement released by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), the incident took place on May 4 in Kangpokpi district, located approximately 35 km from the state capital, Imphal. However, the Manipur police stated that the incident occurred in a different district, although the first information report (FIR) was filed in Kangpokpi.
Describing the appalling scene, the ITLF stated, “…The despicable scene, which unfolded on May 4 in Kangpokpi district, shows the men constantly molesting the defenseless women, who cry and plead with their captors.” The ITLF also highlighted the additional trauma caused by the perpetrators’ decision to share the video, which exposed the victims’ identities, on social media.
The ITLF has called upon the National Commission for Women and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes to take immediate action in response to the incident. Girl Up Manipur and Eta Northeast Women’s Network, two women’s rights organizations, have strongly condemned the heinous act, describing it as “monstrous and barbaric,” emphasizing that such social evils and menaces are intolerable.
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The Joint Unau Tribal Students’ Forum Delhi (JUTSFD) has also condemned the incident and demanded swift action against all those involved in the crime. Pradyot Deb Barma, Chief of Tipra Motha, a regional party in Tripura, expressed shock upon viewing the video.
In a recent tweet, the Manipur Police announced that a case of gang rape and murder has been filed.
They stated, “Regarding the viral videos of two women being paraded naked by unknown armed miscreants on May 4, a case of abduction, gang rape, and murder has been filed at Nongpok Sekmai police station (Thoubal district)… An investigation is underway, and the state police are making every effort to apprehend the culprits at the earliest.”