Manipur violence: Gangrape victim’s breath held in hope of justice; Even after two and a half years, CBI’s hands are empty, protest intensified

Manipur Gang Rape Victim Died: The fire of caste conflict in Manipur has scorched the lives of countless innocent people. One of these was an 18-year-old Kuki girl, who suffered a brutal gang rape in 2023. Fighting physical and mental wounds for two and a half years, he finally succumbed to his injuries in a hospital in Guwahati. The irony is that even after his death his culprits remain beyond the reach of the law.

This incident that shames humanity was carried out during the ethnic violence that broke out in Manipur in the beginning of 2023. The victim had stated in her complaint that some armed men abducted her in a white car and took her to an unknown hilly area. There she was repeatedly gang-raped. According to allegations by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), the kidnapping was committed by a group of women, known as ‘Mira Paibi’ It is said, played a role. The allegation is that these women kidnapped the girl and called her ‘Aarambai Tengol’ She was handed over to members of the IPC who took her to Langol and sexually assaulted her and later left her dead in Vishnupur district.

War fought from relief camps to Guwahati

In this brutal attack, the girl not only suffered deep mental shock but also suffered serious physical injuries. After the incident he was initially kept in relief camps in Kangpokpi district. When his condition did not improve, he was taken to various hospitals in Manipur and Nagaland for treatment. Ultimately, he was shifted to Guwahati, Assam for better treatment, where he breathed his last during treatment on January 10. Family members say that she never recovered from the shock of that horrific accident and her physical injuries also could not heal completely.

Even after two and a half years there is no clue, CBI is empty handed

The slow process of justice has emerged as the biggest pain in this case. The girl had lodged her complaint with the police on July 21, 2023, which was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) within a month. However, according to some reports, the kidnapping incident is said to have taken place three years ago, but no concrete progress has been made in the investigation so far. Police sources say that a case has been registered, but till now no official information has been shared regarding the arrest or identification of any accused. This slow pace of investigation has raised serious questions on the functioning of the system and security agencies.

Protests intensified after death

“His death is yet another painful testimony of how the Kuki-Jo community has been ruthlessly targeted,” the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) said in a statement. ITLF said the Kuki-Jo people now have “no option but to demand a separate administration for their security, dignity and survival.”

Any other attempt amounts to denial of justice.

Kuki Students Organization (KSO) alleged that despite the gravity of the crime and repeated appeals by civil society organisations, no effective action was taken against the accused. “We unequivocally demand that his death be officially recognized as the result of the violence inflicted on him in the year 2023. Any attempt to the contrary would amount to a denial of justice and abdication of responsibility,” the KSO said.

An organization of Kuki women said the victim will be remembered not only for the injustice meted out to her, but also for her courage in the face of extreme brutality. “For nearly three years, she endured pain that no human being should ever have to endure,” Kuki-Jo Women’s Forum, Delhi and NCR said in a statement.

Also read: 15 days old dead body of a loving couple found hanging in the forest of Rajasthan, the same clan has become the enemy of life.

President’s rule is currently imposed in Manipur, but the wounds of caste violence in the state are still green. During that period of violence, thousands of people had to leave their homes and many lost their lives. This young woman has become a face of the same violence, who died while demanding justice from the system. There is deep anger among the Kuki community and human rights organizations over this incident that a victim died, but even after two and a half years, the hands of the law have not been able to arrest the accused.