Manipur Women Case: Centre Asks Twitter, Other Platforms to Not Share Video

Amidst a massive outcry over the May 4 video of two women in Manipur being paraded naked, the Centre issued an order to Twitter and other social media platforms directing them not to share the video. The video showed men from one community parading two naked women from another warring community in Kangpokpi district on May 4, a day after ethnic clashes broke out in the state between the Meitei and Kuki communities.

The government, in its instructions, stressed that it was imperative to adhere to Indian laws while the matter was under investigation.

Officials said in Imphal that the video surfaced on the internet on the eve of a planned protest march announced by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) on Thursday to highlight their plight.

The victims in the video were reportedly gang-raped by the men and then forced to strip naked and were paraded publicly.

According to an India Today report, one of the victims was a 19-year-old, whose brother was killed by the mob after he tried to intervene.

Latest Updates in Manipur Women Video Case

According to authorities, one of the main accused, identified as Khuyrum Heradas, was arrested in Thoubal district on Thursday morning.

An FIR registered in Thoubal district on June 21 mentioned May 4 as the date of the incident in the Kangpokpi district. A case of abduction, gang rape and murder was lodged against unknown people.

“All three women were physically forced to remove their clothes and were stripped naked in front of the mob,” the FIR stated.

Manipur CM N Biren Singh on Wednesday reacted to the video and called it a “crime against humanity”. Speaking to CNN-News18, he said, “It is a crime against humanity and if found true, the state government will leave no stone unturned to nab the culprits and give them capital punishment. It is a heinous crime and I condemn it strongly.”