New Delhi [India] : Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday spoke to Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh a day after a video of two women being paraded naked on a road by a group of men got viral on social media.
In a telephonic conversation, the Home Minister enquired about the horrific incident that happened on May 4 in Kangpokpi district, some 35 km from the state capital Imphal, where two tribal women were paraded naked and allegedly gang-raped in a field. As per sources, the Home Minister has directed the police to take strict action against the culprits.
Manipur CM N Biren Singh has ordered the police to investigate this case in priority. The police, however, said the incident happened in another district, though the first information report (FIR) was filed in Kangpokpi.
As the video got viral, Manipur Police in a press release issued on Wednesday said, the situation in the state is peaceful during the last 24 hours but tense in some places with sporadic incidents of firing and gathering of crowds at different places. “As regard to the viral videos of two women paraded naked by unknown armed miscreants on 4th May 2023, a case of abduction, gangrape and murder was registered at Nongpok Sekmai PS (Thoubal District) against unknown armed miscreants and the investigation has been started,” the Police has said.
The police on Wednesday said it was making an all-out effort to arrest the culprits at the earliest. “The State Police and Central forces conducted search operations in different vulnerable and fringe areas of both valley and hill districts. Two arms with two magazines were recovered by district police in Imphal East in the operation. Curfew relaxation was curtailed in five valley districts and Churachandpur. Strict security measures were taken up to enforce the curfew,” Manipur Police has said.
A total of 126 Nakas and Checkpoints were installed in different districts of Manipur, both in the hill and the valley and police had detained 452 persons in connection with violations in different districts of the state till Wednesday.
The police have also made an appeal to the general public to extend all possible help in bringing normalcy in the state, to clarify any rumour by dialling rumour free number – 9233522822 of the Central Control room, and to return and deposit arms, ammunition and explosives to the police or security forces immediately.