Suspect's House Set Ablaze After Arrest In Manipur Sexual Assault Case

Shortly after being arrested, a group of women in the village of Huirem Herodas Meitei, the main suspect in the Manipur sexual assault video case, set fire to his house on Thursday.

Herodas, aged 32 and a resident of Pechi Awang Leikai village, is the primary accused among four individuals who were apprehended for the incident that occurred on May 4 in Thoubal district, Manipur. The crime involved the public humiliation and sexual assault of two women from the Kuki-Zomi community. The identities of the other three suspects have not been revealed yet.

Upon receiving news of Herodas' arrest, the women of Petchi village gathered together and, following a short discussion among themselves, proceeded to the accused's residence. The group of women then engaged in acts of vandalism, causing damage to the house and eventually setting it ablaze.

A Meira Paibi leader expressed strong disapproval, stating that regardless of the community, it is unacceptable for a woman to outrage the dignity of another woman. The presence of such an individual in our society is intolerable and reflects shame on the entire Meitei community," said the leader. Meira Paibis, a women-led activist group with no rigid hierarchy, structure, or overt political affiliations, are known as "women torch bearers."

Though the incident occurred over two months ago, it gained national attention when a short video of the incident circulated on social media earlier this week, sparking outrage.

Facing public pressure and calls for resignation, Chief Minister N Biren Singh explained that the police action was delayed due to challenges in identifying the culprits among over 6,000 FIRs filed during the ongoing violence. However, after the video surfaced, enabling the identification of the culprits, immediate action was taken, leading to the arrest of two individuals, including the main perpetrator.