Representatives of four major women bodies of the state, the Apunba Manipur Kanba Ima Lup, AMKIL, Thangmeiband Apunba Nupi Lup, THANIL, Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Manipur, Kabui Mothers’ Association KAMA and the JAC formed in the regard today met both the State Chief Minister and the Home minister pressing their demands for stern actions including death sentences against the four.
President Apunba Manipur Kanba Ima Lup, AMKIL Ph Sakhi, Thangmeiband Apunba Nupi Lup president N Gyaneshori, Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Manipur president L Memchoubi, Kabui Mothers’ Association KAMA general secretary Ranjeeta Golmei and JAC convener Kakomlunglu Kamei and co-convenor Martha Panmei today met the home minister at 3:30pm at his official quarter and submitted a memorandum.
According to JAC convener Kakomlunglu Kamei who acted as the spokesperson of the team during a brief interaction with select media persons after their meeting with both the Chief Minister and the home minister, stated that in the memorandum, the women bodies have demanded immediate termination from service of the two involved IRB personnel and the SI of Bishnupur police who had provided the four with the fire arm used in the alleged rape.
They have also demanded death sentences for all the accused.
She further informed that the home minister at around 5:30pm contacted the Chief Minister on the issue and arranged a meeting with the women body representatives at his official bungalow.
The CM at first informed them that he had talked with his Home minister on their demands and that he will consider it, she added.
However on their persuasion, the CM granted them the meeting and assured them on the termination from service of all involved in the case, however pertaining to their demand for death sentences for the four, he admitted that being a democratic country, it is not in his power to award such punishment, the law have to take it’s on course. He appealed to the women bodies to adjust their demands to a simpler punishment like life imprisonment, she added.
However, citing that any other punishment would not be able to incite fear in them for their wrongdoings, and in order to instill fear so that such acts are not repeated again, the women bodies had refused to budge from their earlier demand for death sentence, she added
She further added that they have set a five days deadline for the government to act out their demands or face various forms of agitations from the women bodies in collaboration with all like-minded civil bodies of the state.
It may be recalled that the victim, hailing from Khoupum Nungleiband, Tamenglong district was gang raped by the four culprits at a place near Keinou Awang Leikai along Tiddim Road on March 22 at around 2 A.M. after forcibly dragging her away at gun point from her brother-in-law. The victim was on her way to the market to sell chillies (u-morok) on the Shaktiman truck that her brother was driving when the four culprits came in a Santro car and put her in the car after looting the truck drivers traveling with them.
The four alleged rapists are Laikhuram Rojit of Porompat; 1st IRB Havildar Ch Ibomcha of Thongju Boroi Makhong; Salam Bijen of Uripok and 1st IRB personnel Ksh Kennedy of Kongpal Chanam Leikai. Following the disclosure of the alleged rapists, one SI of Bishnupur commandos Tiken has been placed under suspension and a departmental enquiry had been ordered against him for providing the pistol to the four.
Several civil bodies of the state had been demanding stern action against the accused and all involved in the rape.
