A 20-year-old woman from the Kuki-Zo community, who became an unseen face of mob-fuelled sexual violence during the May 2023 ethnic clashes in Manipur, has died after a prolonged struggle for justice and recovery. Community organisations said the survivor passed away on January 10, still bearing the physical and psychological scars of the assault.
Assault during 2023 unrest
According to the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), the woman was 18 when she was abducted on May 15, 2023, amid widespread ethnic violence. The First Information Report states she was taken from near an ATM booth in Imphal’s New Checkon area and allegedly handed over to armed men linked to a valley-based group.
She reportedly endured sexual assault at a hilltop location before being abandoned in a creek. She survived after being found by an autorickshaw driver the next day.
Medical struggle and trauma
The survivor fled the Imphal Valley soon after and sought treatment at a hospital in Kangpokpi. She was later referred to medical facilities in Kohima and Guwahati. Despite months of treatment, she continued to suffer from serious uterine complications and deep psychological trauma, the ITLF said.
FIR pending, no arrests
The woman formally reported the crime to Kangpokpi police on July 21, 2023, two months after the assault, after escaping the violence in Imphal. The FIR was later transferred and remains pending at Porompat Police Station in Imphal East district. More than two-and-a-half years later, none of the alleged perpetrators has been identified or arrested.
Protests and calls for accountability
Kuki-Zo organisations, including the Committee on Tribal Unity, held a candlelight vigil on Saturday, calling the woman’s death “emblematic” of the suffering endured by the community during the ethnic violence.
The groups urged the Union government to ensure accountability and justice, stating that punishment of the perpetrators would uphold the spirit of the Prime Minister’s Beti Bachao vision and restore faith in the rule of law.
The case has once again drawn attention to delays in investigations linked to the Manipur violence and the long-term toll on survivors awaiting justice.