Fifth accused in Manipur sexual assault case arrested, fresh violence erupts in Imphal

Imphal: The police on Saturday arrested the fifth accused in connection with the viral video that surfaced on July 19 showing two women being paraded naked by a mob in strife-torn Manipur.

The accused has been identified as a 19-year-old, police said.

The four who were earlier nabbed for disrobing and parading two women in Manipur on May 4 were remanded to 11-day police custody on Friday.

The arrests were made on Thursday, a day after the 26-second video surfaced on July 19.

The house of the key accused in the case was torched on Thursday, hours after he was arrested by police.

Violence in Imphal

Meanwhile, fresh violence broke out in Imphal after women protestors blocked both sides of a main road in the Ghari area. According to media reports, the police took action against the protestors after women burnt tyres during the agitation.

FIR filed

The complaint in connection with the viral video was lodged around a month ago June 21 at Saikul police station in Kangpokpi district.

The FIR filed in this case revealed the tale of mayhem which occurred before the abduction and dastardly behaviour with tribal women, a video of which has now formed the basis of raids and arrests of people connected with the incident.

One of the women seen in the video is the wife of an ex-army man who had served in the Indian Army as a Subedar of the Assam regiment and even fought in the Kargil war.

The FIR claimed that one person was killed by the mob as he tried to protect his sister from being raped on May 4 before the two were paraded naked and molested in front of others.

More than 160 people have lost their lives, and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in the northeastern state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53% of Manipur's population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40% and reside mostly in the hill districts.

(With PTI inputs.)