The Central Bureau of Investigation on October 16 filed a chargesheet against six accused persons and a report against one child in conflict with the law in connection with the incident in which women were gang-raped, stripped and paraded by a violent mob in Manipur this May.
The chargesheet and the report have been submitted before a special court in Assam’s Guwahati. The CBI has invoked Indian Penal Code provisions related to criminal conspiracy, common intention, rioting with deadly weapons, outraging modesty of women and indulging in gang rape, besides those under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
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The agency had registered the First Information Report on a reference from the State government and notification from the Central government.
The case was initially registered on June 21 with the NSK police station in Thoubal district. It was alleged that on May 4, a mob of about 1,000 persons — some armed with sophisticated weapons –— entered B. Phainom village in the Kangpokpi district of Manipur, vandalised and set houses ablaze, looted properties, assaulted villagers, committed murders, and sexually assaulted women.
“It was further alleged that two family members of one of the victims were also killed in the incident. The CBI investigation revealed that the accused were involved in the said incident,” said the agency, adding that the probe was underway to identify the other accused involved in the offences, besides other aspects of the case.
A video clip of the incident, showing the women being paraded, had surfaced more than two months after the incident and gone viral. It triggered an outrage, leading to protests.
The Manipur police had then issued a statement saying: “Regarding the viral videos of two women paraded naked by unknown armed miscreants on May 4, a case of abduction, gang-rape, and murder etc. was registered against unknown armed miscreants, and the investigation has been started. The State Police is making an all-out effort to arrest the culprits at the earliest.”
