- Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, ” The incident is shameful for the country; the guilty will not be spared”.
- In the video it is seen that two women were paraded naked by a mob, molested, and dragged to a field, where they were allegedly gang-raped.
- The Central government has asked Twitter and other social media platforms to remove the video.
- A day after a horrific video surfaced on the internet, the key accused was arrested on Thursday, the police said.
- Manipur CM assures strict action.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his heart was filled with pain over the horrific video of two women paraded naked in Manipur, which went viral. “What has happened to the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven. The incident is shameful for the country, the guilty will not be spared,” PM Modi said in his remarks before the start of the monsoon session of parliament.
In the video that has triggered massive condemnation and demands for action, two women were paraded naked by a mob, molested, and dragged to a field, where they were allegedly gang-raped.
The incident took place on May 4, a day after clashes broke out between the valley-majority Meitei and the hill-majority Kuki tribe in Manipur over the Meiteis’ demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status.
The video went viral on social media on the eve of a planned protest march announced by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) on Thursday to highlight their plight. Speaking on the matter, Manipur’s Kongkopi Village SP said, “All-out effort is being made to arrest culprits as regard to the viral video of two women paraded naked.” Police said a case of abduction, gang rape, and murder has been registered.
The Central government has asked Twitter and other social media platforms to remove the video as the matter is under investigation, the news agency reported citing sources.
A day after a horrific video surfaced on the internet, the key accused was arrested on Thursday, the police said. The accused, identified as Heradas (32), was arrested from Thoubal district with the help of the video that went viral in which he was seen wearing a green T-shirt, the police said.
Union minister Smriti Irani condemned the incident and said she has spoken to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh over the May 4 video. She further said that the chief minister has assured strict action will be taken against the accused.
Manipur is witnessing incidents like arson since May 3. Violence gripped Manipur after clashes erupted during a rally organized by the All Tribals Students Union (ATSU) to protest the demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list. Over 160 people have been killed in the violence so far in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in the northeastern state so far.
Meiteis account for about 53 percent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals — Nagas and Kukis — constitute another 40 percent of the population and reside in the hill districts.
(With inputs from agencies)
