NEW DELHI: A viral clip allegedly of two hapless women in Manipur being paraded naked by a marauding crowd sparked a massive outrage earlier this week, people across the board including political leaders, film stars and people across the country reacted strongly to the heinous act. 

The police said a case of abduction, gang rape and murder has been registered at Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district against unknown armed miscreants.

The complaint copy of the incident mentions that the said incident took place on May 4 at 3 pm, when some unknown miscreants suspected to be members of Meitei Youth Organisations, Meetei Leepun, Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL), Arambai Tenggol and World Meitei Council (WMC), Schedule Tribe Demand Committee (STDC) numbering about 800-1000 persons carrying weapons and rifles, forcefully entered village B. Phainom, Island Sub-Division Kangpokpi District.

The violent mob vandalised all the houses and burnt them to the ground after looting all the moveable properties and cash including furniture, electronic items, utensils, clothes, grains, cattle, domestic animals etc. leaving all of us homeless," the police complaint reads.

Villagers fled away of fear but were rescued by cops however the violent mob blocked the way and snatched three women from the custody of the police team by the violent mob near Toubul (Sekmai khunou) about 2 km from Nongpok Sekmai PS and about 3 Km from 33 AR Somrei Post.

The said women were forcefully unclothed and paraded towards a paddy field while molesting them and the complaint further says that one of them was brutally gang-raped in broad daylight, while his brother who tried to save her was killed. 

As the viral video sparked outrage on social media, Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh said that a mass combing operation has commenced in suspected areas, and the cybercrime unit has been tasked with verifying the video’s authenticity. 

He further disclosed that one main perpetrator involved in the heinous crime has already been arrested last night.

The National Commission for Women said that has initiated action on its own accord to address an alleged incident in Manipur, it later transpired that two Manipuri women and a Manipur tribal association headquartered abroad had sent a complaint on the very same issue 38 days before, on June 12. The complainants claimed that they never received a response or an acknowledgement.

Since early May, the state of Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes between  Meiteis, concentrated in the Imphal valley, and the Kukis, occupying the hills. Over 160 people have been reportedly killed in the violence so far.