2 months ago
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Nearly 3 years aft two Kuki-Zo women were stripped, paraded and gang-raped by a mob successful Manipur’s Thoubal territory — an onslaught successful which the member and begetter of 1 of the survivors were killed — 3 accused successful the lawsuit stay absconding, 2 are retired connected bail, and the bail exertion of different volition travel up for proceeding successful the Supreme Court aboriginal this month.
The hubby of 1 of the victims, an ex-Army jawan and cardinal witnesser successful the case, told The Hindu that a premier fishy identified arsenic Loya, accused of sidesplitting the 2 men, continues to roam free. He alleged that nary superior efforts are being made to apprehension him. The lawsuit is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) connected the directions of the Supreme Court. The Manipur Police had arrested 7 people, including a juvenile, successful July 2023.
Pointing to the dilatory gait of the trial, the witnesser said, “We be the hearings done video-conferencing (trial being held successful Guwahati). Justice remains elusive. Two accused are already connected bail. The main accused, Loya, who killed the 2 men, was known to us. Despite the survivor’s statements, helium has not been arrested and continues to determination astir freely. People known to maine successful the country person told me.”
The victims had fled their colony successful Kangpokpi territory erstwhile taste unit betwixt Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities erupted successful Manipur connected May 3, 2023. According to investigators, a mob of astir 1000 radical attacked their colony the pursuing day.
A chargesheet filed by the CBI alleges that Loya bushed the member and begetter of 1 of the victims to decease utilizing a large woody log and besides took portion successful the intersexual assault. The different 2 accused—Chinglen and Inaoton—named by the survivors for their relation successful the battle and parading of the women, besides stay absconding.
The incident, which occurred connected May 4, 2023, came to nationalist attraction lone connected July 19 that twelvemonth aft a video clip of the battle went viral, triggering wide outrage and involution by the Supreme Court. The lawsuit was yet transferred to the CBI, which filed a chargesheet connected October 12, 2023. The proceedings was shifted to Guwahati arsenic the victims could not question to the vale areas of Manipur for hearings.
On September 8, 2025, the Gauhati High Court granted bail to 2 accused—Nameirakpam Kiran Meitei and Arun Khundongbam. While acknowledging the sedate allegations against the accused, the tribunal held that continued incarceration without proceedings cannot beryllium utilized arsenic pre-trial punishment.
The CBI chargesheet alleged that Khundogbam was portion of the mob and played an progressive relation successful the intersexual assault, pack rape, bare parading of women victims, and execution of 2 relatives of 1 pistillate victim.
Kiran Meitei is accused of participating successful the transgression and circulating the battle video that aboriginal went viral online. Both person been identified by the victims during a trial recognition parade done virtually.
The chargesheet besides stated that policemen contiguous astatine the country refused to assistance the women during the mob assault, allegedly saying the constabulary conveyance had “no key” earlier leaving them astatine the mercy of the mob.
According to investigators, the victims escaped done forests implicit the adjacent 48 hours earlier reaching safety. The FIR successful the lawsuit was registered later, aft the video surfaced. The CBI said the relation of the constabulary unit is inactive nether investigation. The bureau has appealed against the bail granted to the 2 accused successful the Supreme Court.
Another accused, Yumlembam Jiban Singh, has filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) successful the SC, challenging a Gauhati High Court bid connected December 16, 2025, which rejected his bail plea solely connected grounds of the gravity of the alleged offences, contempt acknowledging the prolonged incarceration. He is accused of signaling and sharing the video of the battle and has sought parity with the 2 co-accused, who are already retired connected bail. The Supreme Court is scheduled to perceive the substance connected March 24.
Three different accused inactive down bars are Huirem Herodash Meitei, Ningombam Tomba Singh and Pukhrihongbam Suranjoy Meitei.
A February 26 bid of the Supreme Court elaborate the presumption of investigations into Manipur unit cases being monitored by Special Investigation Teams (SIT) nether erstwhile Maharashtra constabulary main Dattatray Padsalgikar, who was appointed by the tribunal connected August 7, 2023, to oversee the probe.
The 12th presumption study submitted by Mr. Padsalgikar connected February 18 noted that Manipur has constituted 36 SITs crossed 8 districts to analyse riot-related cases, portion 31 superior cases were handed implicit to the CBI. Of these, 20 chargesheets person been filed, 5 cases closed with last reports, and six investigations stay pending and are expected to beryllium completed wrong six months.
