Assault case resolved, one accused held
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, December 11 2023:
A joint meeting of the Rongmei Naga Council Manipur - Ntayphay Luangrian (RNCM-NTL) and its subordinate units, along with leaders of Lamadong Apunba Nupi Lup and Bishnupur Youth Citizen Forum held on Monday has resolved the incident of some youth volunteers assaulting two Rongmei women on December 8 in Bishnupur district, by way of payment of Rs 20 lakh compensation.
The incident is related to detention of the two women, who were allegedly subjected to physical and mental torture, leaving them injured.
In response to this incident, the joint meeting arrived at several resolutions to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
In the meeting held at Chuangphun village, Kangpokpi district, it was agreed that accused Lourembam Kennedy and his co-accused friends uphold customary practices by offering a 5-hand Span of pig to signify a commitment in resolving the matter peacefully.
As per Rongmei Naga customary law practices, the accused and his associates, acknowledging their guilt, agreed to pay a penalty of Rs 20 lakh for the assault and physical harassment inflicted upon the victims hailing from Thingpui (Laimanai) village.
The deadline for this payment is set for December 16 .
In a display of accountability, the accused persons confessed to their crime, tendered applogy to the public gathering, and expressed their full cooperation in resolving the matter.
The meeting further emphasised that valley-based civil bodies must refrain from frisking Rongmei Naga people in Bishnupur district to promote communal harmony and peaceful coexistence.
It was also declared that any future incidents related to the December 8 case, resulting in harassment of the victims, would hold Bishnupur Youth Citizen Forum and Lamangdong Apunba Nupi Lup, as well as the accused persons responsible.
Meanwhile, Bishnupur district police on Monday arrested a 46-year-old man in connection with the case of assaulting two women, a warden of Loyola School and her younger sister, in the night of December 8.The arrested man has been identified as Lourembam Kennedy Ningthouja (46) son of late Kamal Ningthouja of Bishnupur Thiyam Leikai.
He will be produced before the court on Tuesday.
Police source said that the two victims, who belong to Rongmei community and hail from Thingpui village, were returning from the school in an autorickshaw when some local volunteers stopped them at Shantipur village area, and handed over to Meira Paibi.
Lup of Ningthoukhong for verification of their identities.
Following verification of their identities through their Aadhaar cards and other documents, they asked the auto-rickshaw to drop them at the school as it was late.
However, instead of dropping them at the school, the two were taken to a community hall in Bishnupur, where they were assaulted before being rescued by the father of Loyola School.
Bishnupur women police station has registered a case in this regard and 'arrested Kennedy from near Tera Urak Industrial Estate on Monday around 4.05 pm .