Manipur Women paraded naked: Amid backlash, police assure to bring perpetrators to task

After a video purportedly depicting the sexual assault of two women on a road in Manipur went viral, the Manipur police responded with a press statement promising to bring all the perpetrators to justice. Despite the incident occurring on May 4 and an FIR being filed on May 14, there have been numerous allegations of police inaction as they have yet to make any arrests in connection with the case.

New Delhi: Hours after a video that allegedly shows two women in Manipur being sexually assaulted on a road has gone viral, Manipur police issued a press statement assuring to bring all the culprits to task. However, there has been widespread allegation that though the incident happened on May 4 and an FIR regarding this has been lodged on May 14, police have not taken any initiative to arrest the culprits.

The Superintendent of Police (SP), K Meghachandra Singh, issued an official press note addressing the incident. According to the statement, a case of abduction, gangrape, and murder was registered at the Nongpok Sekmai Police Station in the Thoubal district against the unknown armed miscreants responsible for the heinous act. The investigation into the matter has already commenced, and the state police are working tirelessly to apprehend the culprits at the earliest.

In the wake of the incident, the atmosphere in Manipur has been tense, with sporadic incidents of firing and gatherings reported in some places. However, during the last 24 hours, the situation in the state has remained relatively peaceful. In response to the viral video, the State Police and Central forces launched search operations in various vulnerable and fringe areas across both valley and hill districts.

• Statement issued by Manipur police apropos the viral video. pic.twitter.com/tTx3y3sJoV

  — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 19, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

Statement issued by Manipur police apropos the viral video. pic.twitter.com/tTx3y3sJoV

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 19, 2023 ">

Statement issued by Manipur police apropos the viral video. pic.twitter.com/tTx3y3sJoV

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 19, 2023

During one such operation, conducted by the District Police in Imphal East, two arms and two magazines were recovered. The recovery of these weapons highlights the seriousness of the situation and the need for authorities to act swiftly in bringing about calm and restoring order in the region. To maintain law and order, curfew restrictions were imposed, and curfew relaxation was curtailed in five valley districts and Churachandpur. Stringent security measures were implemented to enforce the curfew effectively.

In an effort to prevent further escalation of violence and unrest, the police had set up a total of 126 Nakas or checkpoints across various districts of Manipur, both in the hill and valley regions. These checkpoints were instrumental in detaining 452 individuals who were found to be in violation of the law during this tumultuous period.

Police have also reached out to the general public for support in restoring normalcy to the state. An appeal has been made to the citizens to extend all possible help in maintaining peace and tranquillity. Furthermore, the public is encouraged to report any rumours or misinformation to the Central Control room's hotline at 9233522822. Additionally, there is a call for people to surrender any arms, ammunition, or explosives to the police or security forces immediately, in order to prevent any further violence or illegal activities.