Manipur viral video: Police arrest fifth accused in connection with parading of two women

Manipur Police on Saturday apprehended the fifth accused allegedly involved in the 4 May viral video incident in which two tribal women were paraded naked and sexually assaulted in Kangpokpi district of the state, officials said.

The four other accused, arrested on 20 July  were remanded to 11-day police custody on Friday.

The Manipur viral video, which surfaced on social media on Wednesday was taken down by Twitter due to the request made by the Indian government.

The 26-second viral clip showed two women paraded nakedly by a group of men.

On Thursday, a man who was part of the mob that paraded the women at B. Phainom village and was seen dragging one of them was among four people who were arrested as the incident drew widespread condemnation.

One of the women seen in the horrific clip is the wife of  an ex-Army man who fought Kargil war and served as a subedar in the Assam Regiment.

A complaint in connection with the video was lodged around a month ago June 21 at the Saikul police station in Kangpokpi district.

The FIR filed in this case, revealed the tale of mayhem which occurred before the abduction of the tribal women, a video of which has now formed the basis of raids and arrests of people connected with the incident.

The FIR also 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.

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.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.