On day of Manipur horror, more young women were raped, tortured and killed by majority community mob

News Network
July 22, 2023

manipur.jpg

Imphal, July 22: On the same day two tribal women were stripped, paraded and allegedly gang raped by a mob in Manipur in an incident that has triggered massive outrage, at least two other young women from the state's Kangpokpi district were brutally assaulted and murdered amidst a wave of ethnic violence that is yet to abate.

The victims, aged 21 and 24, were working at a car wash in the Konung Mamang area of the Imphal East district, around 40 kilometres away from the site of the other incident, when they were targeted by a mob on May 4.

The two women at the car wash were reportedly assaulted by a large group of men, accompanied by some women. A male co-worker, who witnessed the incident, told The Times of India that the women in the mob encouraged the men to take the victims inside a room and sexually assault them.

The victims were dragged into the room, the lights were switched off, and they were gagged with clothes to prevent them from screaming. After enduring this horrific ordeal for about one-and-a-half hours, the victims were dragged outside and dumped next to a sawmill in the vicinity. Their clothes were torn, their hair chopped off, and their bodies were covered in blood.

The identities of the victims were initially not reported due to the fear of stigma associated with sexual assault. However, the mother of one of the victims mustered the courage to file a Zero FIR at Saikul police station on May 16th, The Indian Express reported.

The FIR, which stated that her daughter and the other woman were "brutally murdered after being raped and gruesomely tortured," was later transferred to Porompat police station in Imphal East district. 

"Their dead bodies are not yet recovered, and their whereabouts are also not known till date," the police complaint read, putting the number of assailants at about 100-200.

It was at the same police station that another FIR was registered concerning the alleged abduction, rape, and murder of the two women whose horrific ordeal was recorded on video and has triggered nationwide anger.

Police sources have confirmed that no arrests have been made in this case so far. The Manipur police are currently examining thousands of complaints related to various crimes, including weapon looting, arson, killings, and assaults on women.

The incidents have also been flagged to the National Commission for Women in a complaint by two activists and the North American Manipur Tribal Association.

They are the latest tale of horror to emerge from the state, where at least 150 people have been killed and more than 40,000 displaced since the violence erupted on May 3.

The clashes in the state bordering Myanmar began when the Kuki tribal group clashed with a non-tribal group, the ethnic majority Meitei, over sharing economic benefits and quotas given to the tribes.

The trouble appeared to subside after the central government rushed thousands of paramilitary and army troops to the state of 32 lakh people, but sporadic violence and killings resumed soon afterwards and the state has remained tense since. 

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 14,2025

shaw.jpg

Border Security Force (BSF) jawan Purnam Kumar Shaw who was in Pakistan’s custody since April 23, has been handed over to India. The BSF said in a statement that Shaw was handed over to India at 10:30 am through the Attari border check post in Amritsar. 

BSF stated that Shaw is being debriefed after his handover. 

The handover was conducted peacefully and in accordance with established protocols, said the force. 

"With the consistent efforts of BSF through regular flag meetings with Pakistan rangers and through other communication channels, the repatriation of BSF constable has become possible," said BSF. 

Shaw, a jawan of the 182nd Battalion, was detained by the Pakistan Rangers after he inadvertently crossed the International Border near Punjab’s Ferozepur. 

The jawan on duty was stationed near the border fence. He was in uniform and was carrying his service rifle, when he moved towards a shaded area for some rest. In doing so, he had crossed into Pakistani territory, where he was apprehended by the Pakistani Rangers. 

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 8,2025

US President Donald Trump says he is willing to reach an agreement with Iran that allows Washington to “blow up” Tehran’s nuclear energy facilities.

“It’s that simple,” he said during an exchange with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, on Wednesday.

“I would much prefer a strong, verified deal where we actually blow them up…,” Trump said, referring to Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Deal’s outcome: Either ‘Nice aggression’ or ‘vicious aggression’

The 78-year-old former president added that there were only two possible outcomes, namely “blowing them up nicely or blow them up viciously.”

This is not the first time, Trump and other American officials have urged “total dismantlement” of Iran’s nuclear energy program. The US president had last made the insistence during comments on the NBC's "Meet the Press" program.

Observers said such statements underline the US administration's continued aggressive approach towards the Islamic Republic and its nuclear energy program.

The adversarial standing comes while Washington and Tehran have been engaging in indirect talks since March. The talks’ initiation marked drawn-out absence of such engagement between the two sides that had been caused by Washington’s illegal and unilateral withdrawal from a historic nuclear deal between Tehran and others in 2018.

Most recently, Trump’s regional envoy Steve Witkoff said, “The president wants to see this solved diplomatically if possible, so we’re doing everything we can to get it going."

Trump’s remarks, though, diagonally contradict Witkoff’s statement about the president’s alleged interest in a diplomatic solution.

Trump also said potential American aggression against Iran’s nuclear sites had to result in “de-nuking them.”

The US and its allies have for long been trying to accuse the Islamic Republic of pursuing “nuclear weapons,” despite the country’s repeated avowal not to either pursue, develop, or stockpile such weaponry as per moral and religious imperatives.

Tehran’s peaceful nuclear policy has been verified unexceptionally by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which has never found any indication of such pursuit, as it has put the country's nuclear activities under the most extensive investigative processes compared to any other member of the United Nations nuclear agency.

The Western narrative, though, has been used extensively to try to justify escalating sanctions, military threats, and covert operations targeting Iran and its nuclear infrastructure.

Nevertheless, the Islamic Republic has invariably vowed to deal effectively with attempts on the part of the US, its allied states, or proxies at engaging in military adventurism against the country.

The assertion was last reiterated by Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran's permanent ambassador to the United Nations, who underscored on Monday that the country would unquestionably defend its sovereignty against any threat or use of force.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
May 14,2025

indiapak.jpg

Despite a detailed rebuttal from the Narendra Modi government, U.S. President Donald Trump has, for the fourth consecutive day, claimed credit for brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan—an achievement he says prevented a conflict that “could have killed millions.”

Speaking at an investment forum in Riyadh, Trump remarked that the leaders of India and Pakistan could now even “go for a nice dinner” together, as tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors had de-escalated.

“Just days ago, my administration successfully brokered a historic ceasefire to stop the escalating violence between India and Pakistan,” Trump said. “And I used trade to a large extent to do it. I told the leaders, ‘Fellows, come on. Let’s make a deal. Let’s do some trading.’”

His comments came even as New Delhi firmly rejected the notion that the United States had any role in mediating the ceasefire, which brought an end to nearly four days of cross-border hostilities. India also dismissed Trump’s claim that he used the threat of halting U.S. trade with both countries to pressure them into backing down.

“Let’s not trade nuclear missiles. Let’s trade the things you make so beautifully,” Trump said. “They both have very powerful, strong, smart leaders. And it all stopped. Hopefully, it’ll stay that way—but it stopped.”

Trump went on to praise Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, crediting him and others in his administration for their efforts.

“Marco, stand up. What a great job you did on that. Thank you,” Trump said. “Vice President JD Vance, Marco—the whole group worked hard. And I think [India and Pakistan] are actually getting along. Maybe we can even get them together a little bit, Marco, where they go out and have a nice dinner together. Wouldn’t that be nice?”

Trump continued, “We’ve come a long way. Millions of people could have died in that conflict. It started small and was getting bigger by the day.”

This marks the fourth day in a row—Saturday through Tuesday—that Trump has publicly asserted his administration’s role in defusing tensions between the two South Asian rivals, despite consistent denials from the Indian government.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.