• Source:JND
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After a video of two women being paraded naked and being sexually assaulted by a mob surfaced on Wednesday, the Manipur Police confirmed that the incident had taken place in Thoubal district on May 4. The two women seen in the video were members of the Kuki-Zomi community while the region where the incident happened is dominated by the Metei community. A day before, on May 3, widespread ethnic violence had broken out between the Kuki and Metei tribes in the state.

The police said the women had later reported the matter in Kangpokpi district where a Zero FIR had been filed, according to the Indian Express. The case was forwarded to the concerned police station in Thoubal.

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According to the complaint, five people, including three women and two men, had been targeted by the mob. They alleged that the two men, father and brother of one of the victims, were killed for objecting to the sexual assault. The three women, one in her 20s, another in 40s and the third in 50s, were paraded naked by the mob and sexually assaulted. The youngest was also brutally gang-raped in broad daylight.

The five people had fled their village when the mob of "800-1000" people arrived carrying "sophisticated weapons like AK Rifles, SLR, INSAS and .303 Rifles" and began looting and arson. The escapees had been rescued by the police, but the mob managed to seize them from police custody midway. The father of the youngest victim was allegedly killed immediately while the brother died trying to protect her.

Later, the three women managed to escape via the neighbouring hill district of Tengnoupal and are now residing in relief camps.

The police have filed an FIR, booking "unknown armed miscreants" under charges of abduction, gangrape and murder. None of the accused have been arrested so far.

Issuing a press note on the incident, Manipur Superintendent of Police K Meghachandra Singh said: “As regard to the viral videos of two women paraded naked by unknown armed miscreants on May 4, a case of abduction, gangrape and murder, etc was registered at Thoubal district against unknown armed miscreants and the investigation has been started. The state police is making an all-out effort to arrest the culprits at the earliest.”