‘She had fear in her heart’: Her case still in court, victim of sexual assault during Manipur conflict dies

When the crimes against women during the conflict came to public attention in July 2023, following the widespread circulation of a video of two women from the Kuki-Zo community being paraded naked, the assault of the 20-year-old was one of the key cases that made headlines.

Her family was displaced from Imphal, where they had lived for nearly three decades, because of the violence. They then lived in the Kuki-Zo majority district of Kangpokpi for a little over a year before moving to Singat in the Churachandpur district.

The violence in Manipur began on May 3, 2023, and on July 21 that year, the family had filed a zero FIR at the Kanpokpi police station in connection with her sexual assault. In the complaint, it was alleged that the woman, then in school, was abducted by four men on the evening of May 15 from Imphal’s New Checkon. The men took her to a car and started beating and slapping her.

She alleged that local men and women took turns assaulting her, before handing her over to four armed men who drove her off in a Bolero. She alleged that they took her to a hilly area, where they beat her again, and three of them raped her. She said that she somehow managed to roll down the hill and escape, and that she was rescued by an auto-rickshaw driver.

Her mother said that the woman, who was studying in Imphal at the time, wanted to complete school and then open a beauty parlour of her own. However, she dropped out after the incident.

“She would keep getting sick, and she would not want to talk to anyone or go anywhere. So she would be at home with me, sometimes reading the Bible, sometimes some magazines, or watching TV,” she said, adding that she was on medications prescribed by a psychiatrist and an endocrinologist.

Her cousin told The Indian Express, “They are all staying at a relative’s home. But she would just be by her mother’s side. Even when we or other family or friends would visit, she would close herself and be quiet.”

The family said they are not aware of any arrests or the status of the investigation in the case.

Following the zero FIR, an FIR was registered at Porompat police station, and this was one of the cases transferred to the CBI for investigation. Subsequently, three people were arrested.

However, no chargesheet was filed against one of them, citing “lack of evidence”. A chargesheet against two people, Keisham Lanchenba Meitei and Keisham Malemnganba Mangang, was submitted on May 19, 2025, on charges including criminal force with intent to outrage modesty, attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt, disobedience to order, acts done with common intent, and Section 3 of the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The case is being heard in a special CBI court in Guwahati, which is yet to frame charges against the two accused. On January 2, the two appeared before the court via video and stated that they are ready to face trial, and were granted bail “of Rs 30,000 only with one surety each of like amount to the satisfaction of the learned CJM, Imphal East”.