India police face scrutiny after women paraded naked

The role of the police is being questioned in the case of two women who were paraded naked by a mob of men in Manipur, India. The incident occurred on 4 May, and a video went viral, causing global outrage. Despite a police complaint being lodged shortly after the incident and many of the attackers being identifiable in the footage, police only opened a case of gang rape. They arrested four men after the video gained attention.

 

 

The written complaint filed by a relative of one of the women alleges that the mob took the survivors from police custody, and two of the survivors accused the police of being present but not intervening to help them. The police have not denied the accusations. Some media reports suggest that the police claimed they were outnumbered.

 

 

Critics are questioning why it took so long for the police to act and why they did not arrest the accused earlier if they had received the video. The police have yet to respond to questions from the media.

 

 

The attack on the women occurred during violent ethnic clashes in Manipur between the Meitei and Kuki communities, resulting in their complete segregation. The survivors in the video are from the Kuki community and were assaulted by men from the Meitei group. At least 130 people have died, and 60,000 have been displaced due to the clashes.

 

 

The video of the incident, showing the women weeping and begging for mercy, sparked widespread anger, with Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud saying the Supreme Court was deeply disturbed by the video. The parliament has been disrupted for two days as opposition lawmakers demand a debate.

 

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi finally addressed the incident, stating that it had "shamed India" and promised no guilty parties would be spared. The Chief Minister of Manipur also issued a statement demanding capital punishment for those involved. However, critics believe the delayed arrests do not inspire confidence in the authorities. Local Kuki tribal and women's organizations have also alleged that several other women have been raped in the state. However, these claims have not been independently verified.