Meitei women set ablaze gang rape accused’s house, say women’s dignity is paramount

Imphal: In a dramatic turn of events in the village of Pechi Awang Leikai in Manipur, a fiery display of outrage was witnessed as a group of women took matters into their own hands and set ablaze the house of Huirem Herodas Meitei, the prime accused in the heinous Manipur sexual assault video case.

The 32-year-old Herodas, along with three others whose identities remain undisclosed, faced arrest for their alleged involvement in the appalling incident that took place on May 4 in Thoubal district. The case came to national attention after a short video of the incident surfaced on social media earlier this week, igniting widespread outrage.

The news of Herodas' arrest reached the women of Petchi village, who were determined to deliver a powerful message against such abhorrent behaviour. With no time to spare, the women gathered and, fuelled by a shared sense of justice, marched to the accused's residence after a brief discussion among themselves.

After vandalizing the accused's house, that have set it ablaze as a symbolic act of cleansing their society from such disgraceful actions.

A leader of the Meira Paibi group, a respected women-led activist organization known for its commitment to safeguarding women's dignity, expressed her views on the matter. She stressed that regardless of the accused's community, outraging a woman's dignity would not be tolerated. The sentiment echoed throughout the village as the women united in their condemnation of such despicable behaviour.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh faced public pressure and calls for resignation due to delays in the police action. He clarified that the identification of the culprits had been challenging, with over 6,000 FIRs filed during the ongoing conflict between the valley-dwelling Meiteis and the hills-dwelling Kuki-Zomis over the inclusion of the former in the Scheduled Tribes (STs) list.