Manipur Police arrest fifth accused in women disrobing case

Imphal: Police have arrested the fifth accused in connection with the video that surfaced on July 19 showing two women being paraded naked by a mob in strife-torn Manipur, police said.

The accused has been identified as a 19-year-old, police said.

The four who were earlier nabbed for disrobing and parading two women in Manipur on May 4 were remanded to 11-day police custody on Friday, police said.

The arrests were made on Thursday, a day after the 26-second video surfaced on July 19.

The house of the key accused in the case was torched on Thursday, hours after he was arrested by police.

According to police, he was seen prominently directing the mob at B. Phainom village of Kangpokpi district in the video.

One of the women seen in the video is the wife of an ex-army man who had served in the Indian Army as a Subedar of the Assam Regiment and even fought in the Kargil War.

It may be recalled, that the complaint in connection with the viral video was lodged around a month ago – June 21 – at Saikul police station in Kangpokpi district.

The FIR filed in this case, a copy of which has been seen by PTI, revealed the tale of mayhem which occurred before the abduction and shameful behaviour with tribal women, a video of which has now formed the basis of raids and arrests of people connected with the incident.

The FIR claimed that one person was killed by the mob as he tried to protect his sister from being raped on May 4 before the two were paraded naked and molested in front of others.

More than 160 people have lost their lives, and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.