Manipur Horror: 2 More Young Women Allegedly Raped and Murdered On The Same Day

On the same day that two tribal women in Manipur were subjected to a horrifying incident involving stripping, parading, and alleged gang rape by a mob, another tragic incident unfolded in the state's Kangpokpi district. This comes a day after chief minister and BJP leader Biren Singh conceded that 'hundreds' of instances similar to that portrayed in a chilling video had taken place in the state since May 3.

Two young women, aged 21 and 24, who were employed at a car wash in the Konung Mamang area of Imphal East district, around 40 kilometers away from the site of the previous incident, became victims of brutal assault and murder amidst the ongoing wave of ethnic violence that continues to grip the region.

According to reports, a large group of men, accompanied by some women, attacked the two women working at the car wash. A male co-worker, who witnessed the horrifying incident, revealed that the women in the mob incited the men to sexually assault the victims inside a room.

As per the account provided by a cousin of the younger victim, more than 100 Meitei men and women conducted a search for the two women on May 4. The search led them to discover the victims inside a room at the car wash.

The cousin asserted that the attack was premeditated. The Meitei individuals in the vicinity were aware of the presence of two Kuki girls working at the car wash, and their sole target was these two girls, not the boys from another community.

According to the cousin's recollection, the Meitei group initially arrived at the car wash in the morning but left when they couldn't locate the hiding victims. Throughout the day, the two women attempted to flee but were unable to do so due to the precarious situation in Imphal city, which was experiencing unrest.

In the afternoon, around 4 pm, the group returned and gathered all the male employees from the facility onto the road. They threatened the boys with harm unless they revealed the whereabouts of the two women.

Under pressure, one of the younger employees panicked and divulged the hiding place of the two women inside the car wash.

Around 5 pm, the group entered the room where the girls were hiding. The assailants switched off the lights, and gagged them with clothes to stifle their screams and took turns to commit horrific acts of torture and sexual assault. For about one-and-a-half hours, the victims endured this nightmarish ordeal, after which they were dragged outside and dumped near a sawmill. Their clothes were torn, their hair was forcibly cut, and their bodies were covered in blood.

Initially, the identities of the victims were withheld due to the fear of stigma associated with sexual assault. However, the mother of one of the victims summoned the courage to file a Zero FIR at Saikul police station on May 16th. The FIR stated that her daughter and the other woman were "brutally murdered after being raped and gruesomely tortured." The case was later transferred to Porompat police station in Imphal East district.

The police complaint mentioned that the victims' bodies were yet to be recovered, and their whereabouts remained unknown. The complaint estimated the number of assailants to be around 100-200.

Meanwhile, another FIR concerning the alleged abduction, rape, and murder of two women in a widely circulated video was registered at the same police station, sparking nationwide outrage.

As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with this case, and the Manipur police are currently investigating thousands of complaints related to various crimes, including weapon looting, arson, killings, and assaults on women.

These incidents have drawn the attention of the National Commission for Women, with two activists and the North American Manipur Tribal Association filing a complaint.

These shocking events are part of the larger turmoil in Manipur, where clashes between the Kuki tribal group and the non-tribal group Meitei have resulted in at least 125 deaths and more than 40,000 displacements since May 3. Although the central government deployed thousands of paramilitary and army troops to the state, sporadic violence and killings continue, leaving the region in a tense and unsettled state.