Imphal: A disturbing video has emerged from violence-torn Manipur showing two women, reportedly belonging to the Kuki-Zo tribes, being paraded naked on the road by a group of men and then allegedly gang-raped in a nearby field.
The sickening incident reportedly took place on May 4 and a video of the despicable act surfaced on social media on Wednesday, showing two Kuki-Zo women being paraded naked, molested and groped by a group of men, purportedly belonging to the Meitei community. The women were later allegedly gang-raped in a field near the roadside.
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RAISING MY VOICE
I am not a politics expert but this is beyond distressing. Parading women naked and sexually abusing them. #Manipur has been left to burn for long and now this. SUCH A DISGRACE! pic.twitter.com/qw1q5uQB3t
— Jagat Joon (@jagatjoon12) July 19, 2023
The horrifying video has sparked outrage and resulted in more tensions in the conflict-torn northeastern state that has witnessed widespread destruction and deaths since the outbreak of ethnic violence in May this year.
The video was doing the rounds on the eve of a planned protest march announced by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) on Thursday to highlight their plight, news agency PTI reported.
Police said a case of abduction, gangrape and murder has been registered at Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district against unknown armed miscreants. In a statement, they said an all-out effort is on to arrest the culprits at the earliest.
“As regard to the viral videos of two women paraded naked by unknown armed miscreants on May 4, a case of abduction, gang-rape and murder was filed at Nongpok Sekmai police station (Thoubal district)… Investigation has started. The state police is making all-out efforts to arrest the culprits at the earliest,” Manipur Police wrote in a tweet.
*All out effort to arrest culprits as regard to the viral video of 02 (two) women paraded naked :*
As regard to the viral video of 02 (two) women paraded naked by unknown armed miscreants on 4th May, 2023, a case of abduction, gangrape and murder etc
1/2
— Manipur Police (@manipur_police) July 19, 2023
According to a spokesperson of ITLF, the “despicable scene, which happened on May 4 in Kangpokpi district, shows men constantly molesting the helpless women, who cry and plead with their captors.
“The horrifying ordeal suffered by these innocent women is amplified by the perpetrators’ decision to share the video, which shows the identity of the victims, on social media.”
While condemning the “sickening act”, the spokesperson in a statement demanded that the central and state governments, National Commission for Women and National Commission for Scheduled Tribes take cognisance of the offence and bring the culprits before the law.
The Kuki-Zo tribals are planning to raise this issue as well during a proposed protest march in Churchandpur on Thursday.
Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes since May 3 between majority the Meiteis, concentrated in Imphal valley, and the Kukis, occupying the hills. Over 160 people have been killed in the violence so far while internet services remain suspended.
(With PTI inputs)
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