Manipur women sexual assault: Two more arrested

Angry women burned down the houses of two of the accused in the case on Friday. Pic/Agencies

With two more being held, the total number of arrests in connection with the parading of two disrobed women in Kangpokpi district on May 4 has risen to six.

Police said that the fifth accused was arrested on Saturday morning, while the sixth, a juvenile, was held in the afternoon, both from Thoubal district.

A local court in Manipur's Thoubal district on Friday sent the four accused arrested earlier to police custody for 11 days to facilitate the police investigation of the horrendous crime, which shook the entire nation.

Officials in Imphal said that on the plea of the investigation officer of the case, the judicial magistrate first class in Thoubal sent the four to police custody till July 31. The accused were produced before the court through video conferencing.

Meanwhile, an irate mob on Friday set ablaze the house of absconding suspect L. Kabichandra, 20, at Wangjing area in Thoubal.

Kabichandra, who has gone into hiding since Thursday, is among the mob seen in the video of the shocking incident that went viral in social media on July 19.

Angry women also burnt down the house of the main accused Huirem Herodas Singh (Meitei) at Yairipok village in Thoubal district late on Thursday evening.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh, who also holds the home portfolio, told the media, "I am personally supervising the search operation of the police to nab the remaining accused involved in the crime."

Meanwhile, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal on Saturday alleged that despite initially inviting her to come on Sunday, the Manipur Government suddenly rescinded their permission to meet the two victims.

Expressing her outrage, Maliwal took to Twitter saying, "This is both shocking and absurd. Why should meeting survivors of sexual violence be hindered? I had already made travel arrangements after discussing the visit with them. Why are they trying to obstruct me???"

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