A violent armed mob, numbering nearly a thousand, launched a brutal attack on a village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district, resulting in a trail of destruction, loss of life, sexual assault, and abduction. The horrifying incident, which transpired on May 4, involved the torching and looting of homes, as well as wanton killings and rapes. The incident culminated in the forced naked parade of two women, a deeply disturbing act caught on video that sparked outrage across the nation.

According to an FIR filed on June 21, the mob’s rampage commenced before the abduction and the shameful treatment of tribal women, a video of which has now spurred raids and arrests of individuals linked to the incident.

The FIR detailed that a person was tragically killed by the mob as he courageously tried to shield his sister from being subjected to rape. Following this horrific act, the two were paraded naked and molested in front of others.

The mob, armed with sophisticated weapons forcefully entered the village around 3 pm on May 4. They unleashed mayhem, vandalizing and then setting fire to all the houses after looting them of their belongings. Cash, furniture, electronics, food grains, and even cattle heads were among the items pillaged from the houses.

The situation took an even darker turn as the mob snatched away five individuals who sought refuge in a nearby forest. These villagers had fled in fear following the initial attack.

Subsequent to the incident, police arrested four individuals linked to the disturbing act of parading the women naked and subjecting them to sexual assault. The video depicting their humiliation emerged on July 19, nearly a month after the FIR was filed at Saikul police station in Kangpokpi district. One of the men seen in the video dragging one of the two women became the target of local anger, with his house being attacked, ransacked, and set ablaze by outraged residents.

The grim episode is situated within a larger context of escalating ethnic violence that began on May 3. This eruption of turmoil followed a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organized in the hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis constitute roughly 53% of Manipur’s population and predominantly inhabit the Imphal Valley. In contrast, the tribal communities, encompassing Nagas and Kukis, comprise 40% of the population and primarily reside in the hill districts. Tragically, over 160 individuals have lost their lives, and many more have been injured in the wake of this violence.