IMPHAL, March 24: A 40-year-old woman was allegedly raped and looted by four armed persons in the Keinou Awang Leikai area along Tiddim road.
On March 22 around 2 am, a 40-year-old woman was travelling in a Shaktiman truck from Leimatak towards Imphal driven by her brother-in-law, Sathairung Kamei, 35 of Khoupum when suddenly one Santro car, steel in colour, in which about three to four persons were travelling, stopped the truck at Keinou Awang Leikai.
They assaulted the driver and snatched away two Nokia handsets and 40 kg of Umorok worth about Rs 40 belonging to the woman, Bishnupur SP Th Radheshyam told the media at his office yesterday.
Later, the miscreants, including one who possessed a small arm, dragged her away and forcibly put her inside the car, according to a complaint lodged by the woman at the district police station, said the SP, adding that one of them raped her in an open field near a school along an inter village road at Irom Meijrao.
SP Radheshyam said, the four culprits involved in the incident were arrested by police on March 22 and seized many articles, including one country-made pistol with magazine from them.
The four persons are identified as Laikhuram Rojit, 28, son of L Tomba of Porompat JN Hospital Road 3rd gate; Chungkham Ibomcha alias Iga, 37, son of Ch. Shamu of Thongju Boroi Makhong; Salam Bijen, 34, son of S. Gourababu of Uripok, near Subha Hospital; and Khshetrimayum Kenedy alias Dungi, 37, son of Ksh. Achou of Kongpal Chanam Leikai, an IRB rifleman, now on leave.
One country-made pistol with magazine, one Nokia handset, one bag containing about 40 kg of Umorok and one Santro car, steel in colour were recovered from their possession, he added.
The accused were produced before the Bishnupur CJM duty magistrate yesterday and later remanded to police custody till March 27, the SP said.
A nine-year-old girl was also raped by one of her neighbours at Ngaikhong Siphai Awang Leikai in the district on February 11 last, the SP said and added that the accused, Oinam Ingocha of Ngaikhong Siphai Awang Leikai was arrested on February 23.
Meanwhile, the Zeliangrong Union (Assam, Manipur and Nagaland) on Saturday strongly condemned the incident of gang rape that took place near Keinou Awang Leikai on the intervening night of March 21 and 22.
The victim, G. Jangthailung, 42, wife of K. Ngansoklung of Nungleiband village in Khoupum, is a mother of two sons and two daughters dealing in Umorok business at Bishnupur district, according to statement of Zeliangrong Union (Assam, Manipur and Nagaland).