Manipur Horror: Fifth accused in viral video case arrested

On Saturday, the Manipur police nabbed a second accused in connection with a viral video that showed two women being paraded naked in Manipur while being assaulted sexually.

Four further people who were detained on July 20 were sentenced to 11 days in police detention yesterday. “This is the fifth arrest made so far in connection with the months-old video, which went viral days ago,” Manipur police stated today.

All-out efforts are being taken to arrest the remaining culprits by conducting raids at many suspected hideouts, Manipur police said in a tweet. The first arrest in the case was made in the early hours of Thursday, hours after the video surfaced widely.

A complaint of kidnapping, gangrape, and murder was filed in connection with the event, which occurred in Manipur’s Thoubal district on May 4, according to a senior police official.

Case of abduction, gangrape and murder registered in Thoubal district of Manipur

In a statement on July 19, Superintendent of Police (SP), K Meghachandra Singh stated, “As regards the video of 2 (two) women paraded naked by unknown armed miscreants on 4th May 2023, a case of abduction, gangrape and murder was registered at Nongpok Sekmai Police Station (Thoubal district) against unknown armed miscreants.”

Manipur has been witnessing violence since May 3, following the protests by the Kuki and Naga communities against the High Court’s order asking the state government to consider the inclusion of Meitei community in the category of Scheduled Tribes (ST). Only STs can buy lands in hilly areas.

In order to acquire property in the mountainous areas, the majority Meitei group, which resides in the Imphal valley and the surrounding areas, applied for ST classification in consideration of their growing population and greater need for land.