On May 4, there were two horrifying incidents in Manipur. One occurred in B Phainom village, where a mob allegedly stripped and paraded three women, with one of them being gang-raped. Shortly after, in Imphal, the state capital, another mob reportedly raped and killed two women from the Kuki community, who worked as caretakers at a carwash. Both cases involved the same community of victims (Kuki) and perpetrators (Meitei), as mentioned in the filed first information reports (FIRs). Shockingly, no arrests have been made in the Imphal case, similar to the delay in arrests in the B Phainom case, which only happened after a video of the incident went viral.

According to the FIR filed by the victims' father, the two women were siblings aged 21 and 24, and they were raped and murdered in their rented house when the mob entered their room. The crime took place in the Meitei-dominated Konung Manang area of Imphal on May 4, which was the second day of ethnic clashes in Manipur, resulting in significant casualties and displacement.

The father, who is a pastor, suspected that the mob of around 100-200 people belonged to Meitei youth organizations such as Meetei Leepun, Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL), Arambai Tenggol, and World Meitei Council, as these groups were named in several complaints of violence.

The FIR in the Imphal case was initially filed as a ""zero FIR"" at the Saikul Police station in Kangpokpi district on May 16, as the victims' family could not immediately reach the police station with jurisdiction. It is unclear when the FIR was transferred to the appropriate Porompat police station. As of the latest information, no arrests have been made in the case.

Concerned citizens, including members of the North American Manipur Tribal Association and women activists, lodged a complaint with the National Commission of Women (NCW) on June 12 regarding the Imphal incident, but there has been no response from the NCW. The commission's chairperson, Rekha Sharma, attempted to verify the authenticity of the complaint and contacted the state authorities, but received no response.

The police officer handling the case stated that the women died of multiple injuries, and the investigation is ongoing.

The Kuki-Zo Unity Forum, represented by Hejang Mizao, has been supporting the family of the two Imphal women and expressed frustration over the lack of police action. She pointed out that the incident was part of a pattern of cases that were not properly investigated, and without viral videos, it becomes challenging to get authorities to act promptly.

Ten Kuki legislators also issued a statement on Thursday, mentioning several cases of inadequate investigation, including the Imphal incident.

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