IMPHAL, July 17: While the state had welcomed the life imprisonment sentences awarded to the four convicts of the U-morok rape case last month with a firm belief that it would act as a deterrent for anyone from committing such heinous crimes, rape cases especially that of minor girls have been on the rise in the last couple of weeks.
Angry locals of Nungoi Makha Leikai under Lamlai Police this morning handed over a 20 year old for allegedly raping a nine year old, while the minor victim is being operated on at the RIMS for excessive bleeding following the incident.
The accused has been identified as Leimapokpam Athenba (20), son of Amarjeet of Nungoi Makha Leikai.
Speaking to media persons at the RIMS, the father of the minor girl said the incident came to light this morning around 9am after a neighbor identified as Manglembi on hearing of a child crying from the accussed’s house went inside to check and found the girl crying with bleeding around her private parts.
On being asked, the girl narrated that she had gone to the house to play but was pulled inside the house and committed the crime and had threatened her not to tell anyone, said the father.
After hearing about the heinous crime, the locals angered by the act started looking for Athenba and found him in a nearby area and subsequently handed him over to the Lamlai Police.
Later on, the police brought Athenba to the RIMS Forensic Science department for examination.
Meanwhile, the girl was rushed to the RIMS as her bleeding continued non-stop and was being operated upon at the hospital till the filing of this report.