Gang rape and naked parading: Manipur CM suggests capital punishment for culprits

Imphal: The Manipur Police on Thursday arrested one person in relation to the sexual assault that took place on May 4th, where two women were violently paraded naked and gang raped. The videos of this cruel incident in Thoubal district surfaced on Wednesday, and following this, the arrest was made on Thursday.

Biren Singh confirmed the arrest of one culprit, amongst many and stated that a rigorous investigation was in process. He tweeted, “My hearts go out to the two women who were subjected to a deeply disrespectful and inhumane act, as shown in the distressing video that surfaced yesterday. After taking a suo-moto cognisance of the incident immediately after the video surfaced, the Manipur Police swung to action and made the first arrest this morning.

“A thorough investigation is currently underway and we will ensure strict action is taken against all the perpetrators, including considering the possibility of capital punishment. Let it be known, there is absolutely no place for such heinous acts in our society,” he elaborated further.

In conversation with a senior police officer, it was found that the case was registered immediately at the Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal after the videos of the incident surfaced.

“The state police is making all-out efforts to arrest the culprits at the earliest. We will be able to arrest more accused by this evening. A search operation by the Manipur Police and other security forces was also undertaken in the adjoining districts,” the officer said. The extensive search operation conducted by the Manipur Police hopes to arrest the culprits without delay.

The incident happened a day after the state witnessed extreme ethnic violence. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) has brought attention to the fact that numerous incidents of violence against the Kuki-Zo tribe have been making their way to the public’s notice.

ITLF spokesperson Ginza Vualzong said “A video which went viral on Wednesday shows a large Meitei mob parading two Kuki-Zo tribal women naked toward a paddy field to be gang raped. The despicable scene, which happened on May 4, shows the men constantly molesting the helpless women, who cry and plead with their captors.”

The forum expressed its outright disgust towards the culprits in their statement. "The horrifying ordeal suffered by the two innocent women is amplified by the perpetrators’ decision to share the video, which shows the identity of the victims, on social media," ITLF added.

"The ITLF vehemently condemns the sickening act and demands that the Central and state governments, the National Commission for Women, and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes take cognisance of the offence and take all necessary measures to bring justice to the culprits," the forum said.

IANS input