The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge sheet against six individuals, including a juvenile, in connection with the horrific gang rape and murder of two women from the Kuki-Zomi community in Manipur in July 2022. The chargesheet details the alleged involvement of Manipur Police personnel in driving the victims to a mob of rioters, who then stripped, paraded, and sexually assaulted them. The incident sparked nationwide outrage and led to widespread protests.
According to the CBI chargesheet, Manipur Police personnel drove two women from the Kuki-Zomi community, who had sought refuge in their official vehicle, to a mob of about 1,000 Meiti rioters in Kangpokpi district. The women were subsequently stripped naked, paraded, and sexually assaulted during the ethnic violence in the state. One of the women was the wife of a Kargil war veteran.
A video showing the two women being paraded naked, surrounded by a mob of men, went viral in July last year, nearly two months after the incident on May 4. The incident, which ignited nationwide condemnation, surfaced on July 19, over two months after it occurred on May 4. The video depicted two disrobed women being held, paraded, and assaulted by hundreds of men before being taken to a field. One of the women was allegedly gang-raped, sparking protests and uproar among the masses.
The CBI has charged the accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to gang rape, murder, outraging the modesty of a woman, and criminal conspiracy. The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and the CBI is expected to file additional charges if necessary.
