The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) has vehemently condemned the molestation and gangrape of two Kuki women amid the ethnic clash in Manipur back in May.
In a press release, the ITLF claimed that the incident occurred on May 4 in Kangpokpi district where men molested the helpless women, who were crying and pleading with their captors. This comes after a video which went viral today showed a large mob parading two Kuki tribal women naked toward a paddy field to be gangraped.
The Kuki-dominated village of B Phainom was torched in the incident. A complaint registered with police by Thangboi Vaiphei accused miscreants “suspected to be members” of various Meitei organisations of carrying out the atrocity.
The mob numbered up to 1,000 people who were armed with assault rifles and other guns.
“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, grain, cattle, domestic animals, etc, leaving all of us homeless,” Thangboi said.
Five villagers escaped into the forest and were rescued by a police team. However, while on their way to Nongpok Sekmai police station, the mob carried off the villagers near Toubul.
One Soitinkam Vaiphei (56) was murdered outright by the mob, Thangboi said. He added that three women in the party were stripped naked and one was gangraped in broad daylight in front of the others.
Her younger brother, just 19, tried to intervene but was then murdered. The three surviving victims were later able to escape, Thangboi’s complaint stated.
