Langol protests gang-rape, sets April 23 deadline to state govt
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network

Imphal, April 02 2012: Traumatized by the horrible experience of being abducted, assaulted and then gang raped, **** , housewife and mother of four children, has not been eating or drinking while her four children wept quietly in a corner.

Relating the suffering and hurt of the family of **** w/o **** of Khoupum Lunglei village, Nungba, Tamenglong district, Matha Panmei, w/o Ngamsuaklung's elder brother, informed the media while taking part in a sit-in protest at Guigailong village gate, Langol in Imphal that the family has been torn apart by the incident of March 22 .

The sit-in protest was also participated by members of Naga Women's Union, Rongmei Lu Phuam and women of Langol range foothill dwellers.

Condemning the inhuman crime committed by the four culprits, two of whom are IRB personnel, Arum Pamei, president of Rongmei Lu Phuam, stated that the culprits were dangerous and deserved to be segregated from society, never to be released on bail or bond.

Provisions of Prevention of Discrimination and Atrocities on Scheduled Tribes should also be incorporated against them, so that the criminals do not repeat similar crimes in the future.

The crime has also been also strongly denounced by Naga Women's Union which has demanded that the culprits be never released on bail or bond but punished with life imprisonment or death penalty.

The Union further demanded that adequate compensation be given to the victim without any delay.

One of the protestors angrily demanded that Sub-Inspector Tiken, who gave the gun used in abduction and assault on the victim to the culprits, be also given the same punishment as the other four criminals.

Placards inscribed with slogans like "Train the state force", "Rehabitate rape victim", "Reduce crime in Manipur", "Give exemplary punishment", etc, were seen being used during the sit-inprotest.

Giving April 23 as the deadline to the government to take up positive action to meet the demands, women protestors cautioned that various forms of agitation would be taken up by women of the state, both from the hills as well as the valley in case the government fails to do its duty.

Forty- two year old **** was coming in a Shaktiman truck along with her brother-in-law identified as Sangthairung from their village L.Khunou Khoupum of Tamenglong district when they were intercepted by occupants of a car at around 2 am on March 22 at a place called Keinou Awang Leikai.

The occupants of the car (a Santro), all four of them, then beat up the man but took away his sister-in law at a secluded spot and raped her.

The culprits also allegedly robbed off Rs 6500 and 40 kg of Chillies from the victims.

In the morning of the same day, the victims lodged a complaint with the police and in the afternoon of the same day, the police arrested the four culprits.

The culprits have been identified as L Rojit Singh (28) of Porompat, Ch Ibomcha (37) of Thongju Boroi Makhong and Ksh Kennedy (37) of Kongpal and S Bijen Singh (34) of Uripok.

The last two are said to be IRB personnel.

They were arrested from Sangaipat Sericulture Complex by Bishnupur police.

A country made pistol along with a magazine was recovered from the culprits.

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