Police left us at the mercy of the mob: Kuki-Zomi women victims share their ordeal
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Imphal: It is an unfortunate situation for a democratic country to have action initiated against horrific and heinous crimes like public gang rape and lynching only after a cry for justice is heard in the air. Even after an FIR was registered a month ago in connection with the brutal gang rape of Kuki-Zomi women in Manipur, the action was initiated only when the nation called out the incident after a video of the victims being paraded naked down the street began to surface.
The women victims from the Kuki-Zomi community, who were subjected to shameful brutality by a group of armed men in violence-hit Manipur, shared the ordeal they endured, stating that the police left them at the mercy of the mob.
In the harrowing incident that has sent shockwaves across the nation, a video emerged of two women in her 20s, and another woman in her 40s, being forced to walk naked down a road and dragged towards a field by a mob of men. The assailants brutally groped the women, and the younger victim claimed she was subjected to a horrifying gang rape in broad daylight.
According to an FIR filed in connection with the incident, a horrifying scene unfolded in B Phainom village, Kangpokpi district on May 4. A large crowd of approximately 800-1000 men, armed with AK Rifles, SLR, INSAS, and .303 rifles, attacked a Kuki community family of six.
The victims comprised a 56-year-old man, his 19-year-old son, a 21-year-old daughter, and two other women aged 42 and 52. Tragically, the mob wasted no time and killed the 56-year-old man on the spot. The three women were subjected to a dehumanizing act, forced to strip naked.
The horror escalated further as the 21-year-old woman endured a brutal gangrape, while her 19-year-old brother, who attempted to protect her from the sexual violence, was also killed. Survivors recalled attempting to flee their village as Meitei mobs attacked a neighbouring village.
The survivors revealed that they were physically assaulted and threatened with death if they didn't strip naked. A zero FIR was registered at Saikul police station, charging "unknown armed miscreants" with abduction, gang rape, and murder, but the culprits remain at large.
The crime was driven by false news of a Meitei woman's rape and murder by Kuki men in Churachandpur during ethnic violence. The news was later proven false, but the damage was severe. The attackers taunted the victims, citing revenge for the fabricated incident. The state police faced a massive public outcry, leading them to pledge a relentless pursuit of the culprits.
The younger victim, speaking from her husband's home, revealed that the family was entirely unaware of the video's existence due to the absence of internet in their area. Despite numerous men being involved, she could recognize some faces, including one she knew as a friend of her late brother.
Following the video's circulation, the nation erupted in outrage, prompting the state government and police to take action. One person has been arrested so far in connection with the incident, with the authorities assuring the public that efforts to apprehend more perpetrators are ongoing.