IMPHAL, Jan 9: Speaking at a press conference, Mutum Nirmala Convenor of the Joint Action Committee against the inhuman rape of a woman said that on the night of 27th December, 2012 around 8.30 p.m. Soibam Somorjit Singh, aged about 40 years, S/O late S. Nimai Singh of Wangjing Hodamba Awang Leikai, raped the young married woman after dragging out from her house in a gruesome manner. Consequently, the above named culprit was arrested by police of Thoubal Police Station and produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Thoubal on 29th December 2012. “The culprit is an active worker of local MLA and as such there is influence during the investigation of the case,” she alleged saying that the Investigating Officer and the Officer-in-Charge, Thoubal Police Station have been trying to derail the investigation and trying to level false allegations against the rape victim. The woman in question was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Thoubal and was was compelled to confront with the rapist, in clear defiance of all safeguards of the woman and established norms of effective investigation, she said. She further added that the victim was remanded into police custody for five days and was compelled to wash soiled latrine, utensils and stingy wearing apparels of the lady police personnel and not and provided adequate cloths in order to bear the cold winter night. Saying that the woman had been released after the intervention of the Sessions Judge, she pointed out the investigations into the case has been handed to a newly recruited Sub Inspector without any experience in the matter.
