New Delhi:The CBI on Monday filed a charge sheet against six people and a juvenile in connection with two tribal women being paraded naked in Manipur's Kangpokpi district in May which triggered a nationwide outrage after a video of the incident became viral two moths later. The agency filed the charge sheet against six people and a report against one child in conflict with the law before a special CBI court in Guwahati, nearly three months Manipur Police made arrests in the case.
It was alleged that on May 4, 2023, a mob of approximately 9001,000 individuals, armed with sophisticated weapons, entered B Phainom village in Kangpokpi district of Manipur, vandalised and set houses ablaze, looted properties, assaulted villagers, committed murders, and sexually assaulted women.
A video of the women being paraded naked, which surfaced in July this year, led to widespread condemnation across the country and globally, prompting the Supreme Court to step in and hand over the case to the CBI. It was further alleged that two family members of one of the women paraded naked were also killed in the incident.
The CBI investigation indicated that the accused arrested by Manipur Police were involved in the incident, following which the charge sheet was filed on Monday against Huirum Herodas and others. Further investigation is continuing including the identification of other accused involved in the offences beside other aspects of the case.
The accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those pertaining to gangrape, murder, outraging the modesty of a woman and criminal conspiracy, the CBI said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reacted to the video by saying that the incident of the two women being paraded naked had shamed 140 crore Indians and asserted that the law would act with its full might and no guilty will be spared.