Housewife found murdered, sexual assault suspected
Source: The Sangai Express

Thoubal, August 03 2014: Shock and agony gripped Yairipok village in Thoubal district after a 33-year-old woman was found brutally murdered in her own paddy field.

Lourembam Ranjita w/o L Loken of Yairipok Khoirom Mathak (near handpump) went out alone to work in her family's paddy field located at Kakmayai Mamang Loukol at around 11 am yesterday.

As she did not return home till late evening, her worried husband went to the paddy field to trace her.

Unable to find Ranjita in the paddy field as it was already late and dark, her husband Loken informed the matter to his family.

Later, some people of his locality and family members went again to the paddy field to trace the missing woman.

People taking out a protest

After an intensive search, body of Ranjita, which bore matchet injury marks on her left face near lip and neck, was recovered from her family's paddy field located at Kakmayai Mamang Loukol under Yairipok Police Station at around 11 pm.

It was suspected that Ranjita was raped before she was done to death by her killers.

On hearing the news of brutal murder of the young housewife, a large number of locals from Yairipok Khoirom, Kekru, Malom, Leirongthel Ningel Kakmayai, Heitroipokpi Muslim and Khamlang gathered at Khoirom Mathak Leikai Keithel and conducted a public meeting there with Wangkhem Zilla Parishad Member Kh Sobha and Leirongthel Ningel Gram Panchayat Pradhan S Kumar in the chair this morning.

Apart from forming a Joint Action Committee (JAC), the meeting resolved not to claim Ranjita's body until the murderer(s) are nabbed and launch different forms of agitation if the demands of JAC are not fulfilled by the Government within August 6 .

The demands of the JAC included arrest of culprit(s) and compensation to victim's family.

After the meeting, a protest rally was taken out across the village in around 30 different four-wheeler vehicles shouting slogans like, 'stop crime against women', 'arrest Ranjita's killers', 'respect women's dignity' etc.

Later, a public meeting was again held at Yairipok Bazar in the presence of local MLA Keisham Meghachandra and Thoubal SP Dr S Ibomcha.

Even as the MLA promised to extend his full cooperation and support to the JAC and victim's family, the SP assured to conduct a transparent investigation into the incident.

Shopkeepers, women vendors and residents of Yairipok Bazar also took part in the meeting by closing their shops and vendors.

Later, the JAC submitted a memorandum to the State Home Minister through local MLA K Meghachandra.

Meanwhile, police recovered a Louri Thangjou (farming matchet), a pair of chappals and a bicycle from near the spot where Ranjita's body was found this morning.

Police had already recovered the body and deposited at JNIMS morgue last night.

Although, post mortem examination was conducted today, Ranjita's body is still lying unclaimed at JNIMS morgue.

Ranjita is survived by her husband, two daughthers and two sons.