Imphal: Police have arrested the fifth accused in connection with the viral video that surfaced on July 19 showing two Kuki women being paraded naked on the road by a mob of men in Strife-torn Manipur, police said.
The accused has been identified as a 19-year-old, police said. The four who were earlier nabbed for disrobing and parading two women in Manipur on May 4 were remanded to 11-day police custody on Friday, police said. The arrests were made on Thursday, a day after the 26-second video surfaced on July 19. The house of the key accused in the case was torched on Thursday, hours after he was arrested by police.
According to police, he was seen prominently directing the mob at B. Phainom village of Kangpokpi district in the video. One of the women seen in the video is the wife of an ex-army man who had served in the Indian Army as a Subedar of the Assam Regiment and even fought in the Kargil War. It may be recalled, that the complaint in connection with the viral video was lodged around a month ago June 21 at Saikul police station in Kangpokpi district.
The FIR filed in this case, a copy of which has been seen by PTI, revealed the tale of mayhem which occurred before the abduction and shameful behaviour with tribal women, a video of which has now formed the basis of raids and arrests of people connected with the incident. The FIR claimed that one person was killed by the mob as he tried to protect his sister from being raped on May 4 before the two were paraded naked and molested in front of others.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday said the only way forward in Manipur is to sack Chief Minister N Biren Singh and impose President’s rule in the State. More than 160 people have lost their lives, and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3 when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
In a tweet, Sibal said, “The only way forward: Sack Biren Singh; Impose Art. 356; Apologise to the women of our country.” “Nothing has changed since Nirbhaya: Unnao, Hatharas, Kathua, Bilkis (convicts release). Beti bachao PM ji!” Sibal said. According to Article 356, President’s rule can be imposed in a state if a situation has arisen in which the government of the state cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
Sibal, who was a Union minister during the UPA-1 and UPA-2 governments, quit the Congress in May last year and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent member with the Samajwadi Party’s support. He recently floated the non-electoral platform ‘Insaaf’, aimed at fighting injustice.