A special CBI court in Guwahati has taken a decisive step towards justice in one of the most horrific episodes of Manipur's ethnic conflict. The court has formally framed charges against six men and ordered their trial for alleged atrocities committed on May 4, 2023, where three women were stripped, paraded naked, two were gang-raped in broad daylight, and two male relatives of a victim were killed.
Court Orders Trial, Accused Plead Not Guilty
Last Friday, special judge Chatra Bhukhan Gogoi directed that all six accused be tried by his court. The accused, appearing via video conference from Manipur, entered pleas of not guilty after the judge read out and explained the charges. This case is the first among the Central Bureau of Investigation's probes into Manipur's ethnic violence to reach the trial stage. The CBI has taken over 27 First Information Reports (FIRs) related to the unrest, with 19 involving crimes against women.
CBI public prosecutor Swayamjeet Sharma argued that the investigating officer had gathered sufficient material to frame charges, establishing a strong prima facie case for trial. Defence lawyers, however, contested that the collected evidence did not justify framing charges for all offences listed in the chargesheet.
Charges and Court Directives for Accused
The court has framed serious charges, including promoting enmity between the Kuki and Meitei communities, molestation, sexual assault, gang rape, physical assault, criminal conspiracy, and violations under the Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, alongside charges for property damage and looting.
Judge Gogoi issued specific orders regarding the accused. He directed that four of them—Huirem Herodash Meitei, Ningombam Tomba Singh @ Tomthin, Yumlembam Jiban Singh @ Naocha @ Sana, and Pukhrihongbam Suranjoy Meitei—be transferred from Manipur Central Jail in Sajiwa to Guwahati. They are to be physically produced in court on the next hearing date, January 16, to sign the framed charges. The judge noted that physical production was necessary for the "convenience and fairness of trial," especially since identification of the accused during the trial is involved.
The remaining two accused, Arun Khundongbam @ Nanao and Nameirakpam Kiran Meitei, who are currently on bail, were ordered to appear physically in court on the next date without fail to sign the charge documents.
Brutal Details of the May 4 Incident
The court order detailed the chilling sequence of events based on an FIR filed by the chief of B Phainom village in Kangpokpi district. On May 4, 2023, around 3 pm, a mob of approximately 900 to 1000 armed individuals entered the village under Saikul police station. They vandalized and set fire to homes, looted property and cash.
Five villagers, including the father and brother of one woman victim and two other women, fled into the forest. Although rescued by police from Thoubal district's Nongpok Sekmai station, the group was intercepted near Toubul by a violent mob that forcibly took them from police custody. The father of one victim was allegedly killed on the spot by the mob.
The three women were then forced to strip naked in front of the mob. One woman was brutally assaulted and gang-raped. Her younger brother, who tried to defend her, was allegedly killed immediately. A second woman was also gang-raped. Eventually, all the women managed to escape with the help of local residents who came to their aid.
This trial is proceeding under the watch of the Supreme Court, which earlier transferred all CBI-probed cases related to Manipur's ethnic violence to designated judges in Assam. This move aims to ensure the safety and protection of victims and witnesses, thereby facilitating a fair trial.
