Manipur: Fresh outrage as 2 sisters raped, murdered in Imphal
Days after a video of two women paraded naked in violence-hit Manipur on May 4 emerged, sparking nationwide outrage, another incident of two sisters allegedly raped and murdered by a mob in Imphal surfaced. Reportedly, the horrific second incident also took place on May 4 in Imphal's Konung Manang. Meanwhile, a shocking photo of the charred body of another woman surfaced on social media.
Why does this story matter?
On Wednesday, a video from Manipur surfaced online, showing a gang of men groping and parading two naked women. According to reports, the two victims were also gang-raped. According to the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), the horrifying incident happened on May 4 in the Kangpokpi area of the state. The video triggered widespread outrage among the general public, celebrities, and politicians nationwide.
Meiti mob raped, killed sisters inside rented accommodation: Report
The two sisters—aged 21 and 24—were allegedly raped and killed on May 4, the same day when the aforementioned two women were paraded naked, per the FIR. The victims, who allegedly hailed from the Kuki community, worked as caretakers at a carwash station, it added. A Meitei mob allegedly attacked them inside their rented accommodation and raped them before killing them, Hindustan Times reported.
No arrest, action despite complaint: Victims' father
The father of the two women told HT that his elder daughter's friend, belonging to the Meiti community, told their family about a mob breaking into the women's rented house and killing them. He went to the mortuary, where the doctor claimed his daughters had been raped and murdered. Despite the complaint, he alleged there had been no arrest or police action so far.
Father accused mob comprising Meitei members of crime
According to reports, the alleged crime happened in Konung Manang, a Meitei-dominated area of Imphal, on May 4, the second day of ethnic clashes in the state that has killed claimed over 150 lives so far. The victim sisters' father, who is a pastor, accused a mob of around 100-200, comprising members of several Meitei youth organizations, of raping and murdering his daughters.
Similar shocker incident from Imphal East
On May 6, a 45-year-old woman was allegedly stripped naked and set ablaze in Imphal East. A picture of her burnt remains also surfaced on social media. Thianna Vaiphei Sauntak, a pastor in Pheitaiching village, told The Hindu he found the woman's semi-charred body on May 7, a day after a mob invaded the village, allegedly accompanied by Manipur Police commandos.
What we know about ethnic violence in Manipur
Over 150 persons have so far been killed in the ongoing Manipur violence following a May 3 agitation against the Meiteis' Scheduled Tribe (ST) status demands. Meiteis—forming 53% of the state population—have alleged difficulties due to large-scale Bangladeshi and Myanmarese illegal immigrants and restrictions on settling in Manipur's hill regions. However, tribal Kukis and Nagas (40% of the population) are concerned about their rights.
