Woman remanded to custody for conspiring sexual assault
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 09 2017: A woman has been remanded to judicial custody till March 23 by the Special Court, POCSO Imphal West for conspiring sexual assault on two minor girls.

The accused is identified as Shougrakpam Ichal @ Sanatombi w/o Yumnam Tangba of Leimapokpam Mayai Leikai.

She was arrested from her residence on February 27 last by the police following complaints filed by mothers of the minor girls.

The accused was produced before the Court today with regard to two different cases registered against her in Imphal West women police station.

Counsel of the accused submitted before the Court that the accused has no link to the case at all and prayed for release on bail.

APP of the State claimed that the accused was involved in another case of conspiracy to commit sexual assault on a minor girl with a person identified as Amar.

He stated that the accused did not disclose identity of the main accused in the case and in such situation if the accused woman is released on bail the main accused could not be arrested and would hamper the investigation of the case.

After hearing submissions of both the counsels, the Court dismissed the bail prayer and instead remanded the accused to judicial custody.

As per the complaint filed by mother of one of the minor girls in Imphal West women police station on February 24 six months after the incident, the accused woman came to their residence on September 15 last year and proposed to go to Oinam along with her daughter for offering 'daan' for Swasti Puja.

Instead of taking her to the place, the minor girl was taken to Imphal bazar in a passenger auto vehicle on the pretext of withdrawing money from an ATM.

Upon reaching Imphal, the accused made a call to someone from her mobile phone.

The girl was introduced to a man namely Amar (main accused), aged around 23 years.

The accused then took a bunch covered with a paper from Amar and insisted the girl to accompany Amar while she shops for household purposes.

The main accused took the victim to Siroi Lily fast food located near Pologround, where she was sexually assaulted.

The victim had narrated the incident to the accused woman but she threatened her not to disclose the matter to anyone.

According to the second complaint filed by mother of the other minor girl, on September 29 of last year the accused woman came to her residence and asked her husband to keep their daughter with her for imparting training on weaving.

After five days, her husband went to Leimapokpam and took back their daughter home.

After a few days while the daughter was weaving, a call was received from a person who identified himself as Amar from Hatta, running a shop in Imphal bazar.

Amar told the daughter that the accused woman provided her number with a suggestion that they, become friends.

On October 1, the complainant along with her daughter went to Imphal for marketing during which the daughter got a phone call from Amar.

The daughter had replied that she was at Shamu Makhong.

Amar came to the place and asked her to accompany him up to an ATM booth, which she agreed.

Instead of taking to ATM booth, Amar took her to a fast food near Pologround for having a cup of coffee.

After having coffee, she experienced dizziness and was taken to a hotel room where she was asked to elope with him.

But on refusal, the main accused sexually assaulted the minor girl.

The complaint mentioned that the minor girl was sexually assaulted by the main accused three times.

When the minor girl recalled her sense the main accused gave Rs 300 to the victim as fare to go back home.

Both the complaints filed by mothers of the minor girls mentioned that they could not report the matter in time due to lack of legal knowledge.

It also mentioned that the main accused in both the cases are still on the run till today and also the accused woman refused to provide detailed information of the main accused during police interrogation.

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