Manipur: Police left women to mob that paraded them naked, says CBI

Guwahati: A year after a disturbing video sparked national outrage, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) charge sheet reveals the horrifying details of the attack on two Kuki-Zomi women in Manipur's Churachandpur district.

The charge sheet, obtained by the Indian Express, details how the women sought refuge in a police vehicle during the mob violence.

However, the driver allegedly refused to help, claiming he didn't have the key. The police then reportedly abandoned the vehicle, leaving the women and two men at the mercy of the attackers.

The video, which went viral in last May, showed a mob forcing the two women, one in her 20s and the other in her 40s, to walk naked towards a field. The mob also subjected them to sexual assault.

The violence extended beyond the immediate attack, with houses being set on fire in Churachandpur and nearby villages, according to the charge sheet.

"Mob belonging to the Meitei community initiated an attack on one village by setting houses on fire and also targeted a few residences in neighbouring villages," the charge sheet said.

The CBI investigation revealed that the violence erupted after the women were chased down and separated from a group who had initially sought shelter in a forest.

The charge sheet further alleges that the police driver's claims of a missing key were a lie. While the victims were inside the vehicle, the driver reportedly started it but only to move them closer to the mob. When a male victim pleaded for help, he was silenced.

“They pulled out a male victim and two women victims from inside the Gypsy. The policemen, meanwhile, left from the spot leaving the victims alone with the mob. They tore off the clothes of both the women victims and started thrashing a male victim… One of the woman victims was present at the nearby spot and witnessed the entire incident,” the news paper quoted CBI as saying.

The CBI investigation has resulted in charges against six individuals and one juvenile. The charges include gangrape, murder, and criminal conspiracy.

“The charge sheet has been filed against: Huirem Herodash Meitei (32), who was arrested by Manipur police on July 20, Arun Khundongbam alias Nanao (31), arrested by Manipur police on July 21, Ningombam Tomba Singh alias Tomthin (18), arrested by Manipur police on July 20, Pukhrihongbam Suranjoy Meitei (24), arrested by Manipur police on July 22, Nameirakpam Kiram Meitei (30), arrested by Manipur police on July 24 and a juvenile, apprehended by Manipur police on July 20,” CBI mentioned.