Manipur police arrest fifth accused in Kuki women sexual assault case
Police began a probe and made the first arrest after more than two months on Thursday, a day after a horrific 30-second video of the sexual assault surfaced on social media and went viral
Manipur police on Saturday arrested the fifth accused in sexual assault case in connection with the viral video incident that surfaced online on July 19 which showed three women being stripped naked and paraded.
Reportedly, one of the two victims was also allegedly gang-raped, and two male family members of the victims, were allegedly murdered on May 4 in the state’s Thoubal district.
The victims belong to the Kuki-Zomi-dominated hill district of Kangpokpi. The incident took place in the Meitei-dominated valley district of Thoubal.
Four accused were arrested on Thursday (July 20) in connection. Police are yet to reveal the identity of the fifth man.
The crime took place on May 4, a day after the violence broke out across the northeastern district.
Police began a probe and made the first arrest after more than two months on Thursday, a day after a horrific 30-second video of the sexual assault surfaced on social media and went viral.
Also Read: Manipur video: Houses of two who were part of mob set afire
The video showed the men – who were identified in a first information report (FIR) as Meiteis – hooting and applauding as they groped the victims.
It may be recalled, that a complaint in connection with the viral video was lodged in May at Saikul police station in Kangpokpi district.
On Saturday afternoon, Manipur police confirmed the arrest of the fifth accused through their Twitter handle.
Meanwhile, as part of the probe, police have established contact with two victims who were stripped and paraded. Police said they are trying to contact the third woman. Police will now record their statements.
Manipur police have come under sharp criticism for not acting soon enough after the first complaint – or zero FIR – was lodged on May 18, and not arresting the culprits even after the FIR was transferred to the nearest police station on June 21.
“We have got the Aadhaar car and other identification details of the other men involved in the case. They are from villages far away from B Phainom in Thoubal, where the incident took place. Police teams have matched the identity of some accused with that of the photo that we have got. A second team is on the trail of those accused men. We will be arresting more people soon,” said a police officer, requesting anonymity.
Police said the women were informed over the phone that they need not come to the police station and that if they had a problem with the local investigating officer, a neutral officer – who belonged to neither of the two warring groups in the state – would be assigned to coordinate with them.
Officials said they have sent the video to the cyber wing of the state police. “The video will be enhanced so that the identity of every person in the mob is clear. Meanwhile, our officers have started recording the statements of witnesses. This will help us make a watertight case and secure conviction,” added the official.
On Thursday evening, Manipur police said it arrested four people – including accused Huirem Herodas Meitei. Another arrested accused is the man who recorded the video. His phone has also been seized. Police are yet to comment if the four accused belong to any group or were involved in any similar cases of murder or crimes against other women.
Also Read: Manipur violence: Police confirm Kuki women paraded naked, gangraped by mob
Since May 3, the northeastern state has been gripped by ethnic clashes – primarily between the tribal Kukis, which mostly reside in the hill districts, and the majority Meiteis, the dominant community in Imphal Valley – in which at least 150 people have died and over 50,000 have been displaced.
Clashes first broke out on May 3 in Churachandpur town after Kuki groups called for protests against a proposed tweak to the state’s reservation matrix, granting scheduled tribe (ST) status to the Meitei community.
Violence quickly engulfed the state where ethnic fault lines run deep, displacing tens of thousands of people who fled burning homes and neighbourhoods into jungles, often across state borders.
Internet is still not back in the state while columns of the Indian Army, Assam Rifles and different battalions of Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force are posted in the state to bring normalcy back to the state.
