GUWAHATI: The Manipur police have arrested one of the main accused in connection with the public molestation of two tribal women which came to light only after a video of the incident went viral on social media in the aftermath of the ethnic violence in the northeastern state.
A two-month-old video of the incident went viral on July 19, causing national outrage and invoking sharp criticism of the government for its role in failing to curtail the violence.
The incident is reported to have occurred on May 4 at B Phainom village in the Kangpokpi district — where two women belonging to the Kuki community were stripped, paraded and publicly molested by a mob allegedly led by the Meitei community.
The Manipur police on Wednesday said a case of abduction, gang rape and murder was registered at Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district against unknown armed miscreants and an investigation was started.
Following the accused’s arrest, an enraged mob reportedly torched his house. Altogether four people have been arrested in connection with the incident. In a statement, police said raids were being conducted to arrest all the culprits.
Official sources said search operations by the police were on and more arrests would be made.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who is facing public backlash and calls to resign, claimed the police took cognisance by themselves and arrested the accused immediately after the video had surfaced. He said the state government would not remain silent on the “heinous” crime but make efforts to ensure the culprits get maximum punishment, including the possibility of capital punishment.
Biren Singh said immediately after seeing the video, he had directed the Cyber Crime Department to check its authenticity and conduct a mass combing operation to nab the culprits.
State inaction tells a different story
However, two FIRs had been lodged in connection with the incident over the last two months painting a strong case of police inaction. Thangboi Vaiphei, the chief of B Phainom village, had lodged an FIR with Kangpokpi district police on May 18 and another with Thoubal district police on June 21, accusing the mob of murder, harassment and gang rape.
In the FIR lodged with Saikul police station in the Kangpokpi district on May 18, Vaiphei wrote that a mob of 900-1,000 people, armed with sophisticated weapons, had on May 4 around 3 pm forcibly entered the B Phainom village, vandalised and burnt down all houses and looted all moveable properties.
“…Five villagers (including three women), who feared for their lives, fled towards the forest. Later, they were rescued by the Nongpok Sekmai police team and (they were) on their way to the Nongpok Sekmai police station. However, they were blocked on the way by a mob,” Vaiphei wrote in the FIR.
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The FIR, according to Vaiphei’s statement, reveals that the mob took custody of these villagers from the police and allegedly killed one of the two men soon after, while all three women were physically forced to remove their clothes in front of the mob.
Vaiphei had alleged when one of the women was gang raped in broad daylight, her younger brother tried to defend her modesty and life but he was murdered by the mob on the spot.
“It is, therefore, requested to kindly register a regular case without delay, book the culprits and take necessary actions against them according to law,” the FIR reads further.
More than 150 people have lost their lives since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.
GUWAHATI: The Manipur police have arrested one of the main accused in connection with the public molestation of two tribal women which came to light only after a video of the incident went viral on social media in the aftermath of the ethnic violence in the northeastern state.
A two-month-old video of the incident went viral on July 19, causing national outrage and invoking sharp criticism of the government for its role in failing to curtail the violence.
The incident is reported to have occurred on May 4 at B Phainom village in the Kangpokpi district — where two women belonging to the Kuki community were stripped, paraded and publicly molested by a mob allegedly led by the Meitei community.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
The Manipur police on Wednesday said a case of abduction, gang rape and murder was registered at Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district against unknown armed miscreants and an investigation was started.
Following the accused’s arrest, an enraged mob reportedly torched his house. Altogether four people have been arrested in connection with the incident. In a statement, police said raids were being conducted to arrest all the culprits.
Official sources said search operations by the police were on and more arrests would be made.
Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who is facing public backlash and calls to resign, claimed the police took cognisance by themselves and arrested the accused immediately after the video had surfaced. He said the state government would not remain silent on the “heinous” crime but make efforts to ensure the culprits get maximum punishment, including the possibility of capital punishment.
Biren Singh said immediately after seeing the video, he had directed the Cyber Crime Department to check its authenticity and conduct a mass combing operation to nab the culprits.
State inaction tells a different story
However, two FIRs had been lodged in connection with the incident over the last two months painting a strong case of police inaction. Thangboi Vaiphei, the chief of B Phainom village, had lodged an FIR with Kangpokpi district police on May 18 and another with Thoubal district police on June 21, accusing the mob of murder, harassment and gang rape.
In the FIR lodged with Saikul police station in the Kangpokpi district on May 18, Vaiphei wrote that a mob of 900-1,000 people, armed with sophisticated weapons, had on May 4 around 3 pm forcibly entered the B Phainom village, vandalised and burnt down all houses and looted all moveable properties.
“…Five villagers (including three women), who feared for their lives, fled towards the forest. Later, they were rescued by the Nongpok Sekmai police team and (they were) on their way to the Nongpok Sekmai police station. However, they were blocked on the way by a mob,” Vaiphei wrote in the FIR.
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The FIR, according to Vaiphei’s statement, reveals that the mob took custody of these villagers from the police and allegedly killed one of the two men soon after, while all three women were physically forced to remove their clothes in front of the mob.
Vaiphei had alleged when one of the women was gang raped in broad daylight, her younger brother tried to defend her modesty and life but he was murdered by the mob on the spot.
“It is, therefore, requested to kindly register a regular case without delay, book the culprits and take necessary actions against them according to law,” the FIR reads further.
More than 150 people have lost their lives since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.
