Manipur shocker: Woman paraded naked recounts horror; claims police left them with the mob
In a police complaint on May 18, the victims alleged that the younger of the two women, who were paraded naked by a mob in Manipur on May 4, was "brutally gang-raped in the broad daylight".
FollowEven as outrage over the horrifying viral video from Manipur ensues, one of the victims paraded naked has alleged in an interview with the Indian Express that the police left them to the mercy of the mob. The women were stripped, forced to walk naked, and surrounded by a mob that dragged them to a field, where one of them was allegedly gang-raped. The disturbing video of the incident emerged more than two months after it occurred, leading to nationwide outrage.
The incident took place on May 4, following clashes between the valley-majority Meitei and the hill-majority Kuki tribe in Manipur over the Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status. However, the FIR was filed 15 days later, and arrests were only made recently after the video of the horrific incident went viral on social media, sparking public outrage.
In a police complaint on May 18, the victims alleged that the younger of the two women was "brutally gang-raped in the broad daylight", the newspaper said.
According to the complaint, the victims were part of a group trying to escape from the mob that attacked their village. The police reportedly rescued the group but later handed them over to the mob, leading to the tragic events that followed. In the ordeal, three women, including the younger victim, were allegedly stripped, and the father and brother of the youngest woman were taken by the mob. The 19-year-old brother was killed while trying to protect his sister.
The younger woman, who survived the harrowing incident, recounted her traumatic experience in an interview with The Indian Express. She revealed that the police were present with the mob when they attacked their village and later left them with the mob on the road. She expressed her shock and unawareness of the video of the incident, as there is no internet connection in Manipur.
"The police were there with the mob which was attacking our village. The police picked us up from near home, and took us a little away from the village and left us on the road with the mob. We were given to them by police," the woman told The Indian Express on the phone from her husband's home.
"After the mob did what they did, we were just left there and we escaped," she said.
The woman's husband, who has served in the army and fought in the Kargil war, spoke to India TV about the distressing incident. He described the mob's attack as ruthless, with an intent to kill and using weapons. The victims were taken separately and forced to strip in a brutal act of violence.
Also read: Manipur: Horrific story of why 2 women were paraded naked revealed; main accused arrested
The mob came at them "like animals", he said, with weapons and an intent to kill.
"They (mob) took the women separately with them, forced them to strip," he said, fearing more such attacks.
In the wake of the video's circulation, action has been taken by the state machinery, leading to the arrest of four individuals connected to the incident. However, the shocking incident has raised widespread concerns about the safety and protection of vulnerable individuals and the need for swift and effective measures to address such acts of violence.
