Manipur Violence: A woman from the Kuki tribe, who was abducted, gang-raped, and left to die by a group of men in Manipur shortly after the Meitei-Kuki ethnic violence happened in May 2023, has passed away. The 20-year-old succumbed to an illness that was worsened by the physical and emotional trauma she suffered. Her family is devastated that their daughter did not receive justice during her lifetime.
The woman’s relatives shared that she never recovered from the severe shock and injuries inflicted upon her over two years ago. Her health continued to deteriorate as a result of the brutality she endured.
In an emotional account shared with NDTV in July 2023, the woman described the horrific violence she suffered at the hands of men from the Meitei community. Despite sustaining severe injuries, she managed to file a police report in July 2023, two months after the assault. At the time, law and order in the region had broken down, making it difficult to seek justice.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), based in Churachandpur, issued a statement in her memory, announcing a candlelight vigil. According to the ITLF, the woman had been taken to Langgol, where she was raped, before being abandoned in Bishnupur, left to die.
"Though she miraculously survived, she was left with severe physical injuries, profound psychological trauma, and life-threatening uterine complications. Despite receiving medical treatment in Guwahati, she tragically passed away from her injuries on January 10, 2026," the statement read.
The woman’s mother spoke to Newslaundry, recounting how her daughter’s health had deteriorated over time, with breathing difficulties attributed to the severe injuries she sustained. She also described the drastic change in her daughter’s personality following the attack.
"My daughter was always a lively and outgoing girl before this happened. She wasn’t particularly interested in academics but worked at a beauty parlour in Imphal with one of our relatives. She had many friends and was always smiling, full of life. But after the incident, she lost that smile. She became a shadow of the girl she once was," the mother said.
In the first information report (FIR), the young woman described how she was abducted by four armed men in black shirts, who sexually assaulted her one after the other. Members of the Meitei militia, Arambai Tenggol, are known to wear black shirts, and Kuki organisations have accused certain members of the Meira Paibi, a women's rights group, of facilitating her handover to the men.
“I was taken away in a white Bolero by four men. While they were transporting me, three of them assaulted me, leaving only the driver untouched. They then took me to a hill where they continued their abuse,” she said in 2023.
"Whatever miserable things that they could do to me, they did and the whole night I was not given anything to eat. They didn't even give water. In the morning, somehow, on the pretext of going to the washroom... I removed the blindfold and tried to look at what was around and what was happening. After that I took the decision to run down the hill and escape," she added.
An autorickshaw driver, who gave her a ride to safety, hid her under a pile of vegetables. She eventually made it to Kangpokpi, where she was referred to a hospital in Kohima, the capital of Nagaland.
The violence between the Meitei community, which is predominantly based in the valley, and the Kuki tribes, who are mainly located in the hills of Manipur, began in May 2023. The conflict stemmed from a variety of issues, including land rights and political representation. More than 200 have died in the violence and nearly 50,000 have been displaced.