Manipur police arrested a fifth accused in connection with the video, which showed two women being paraded naked, said police. The accused has been identified as a 19-year-old, reported PTI.
A day earlier, four accused arrested in the case were remanded to 11-day police custody. The arrests were made on Thursday, a day the video went viral on social media on July 19, triggering widespread condemnation and calls for action. Following the incident which reportedly took place on May 4, a zero FIR was filed in the Saikul police station of Kangpokpi district on May 18, based on a complaint.
Meanwhile, following the arrest, house of one of the accused was torched by angry locals on Thursday. According to police, he was seen prominently directing the mob at B. Phainom village of Kangpokpi district in the video.
The FIR filed in this case, a copy of which has been seen by PTI, claimed that one person was killed by the mob as he tried to protect his sister from being raped on May 4 before the two were paraded naked and molested in front of others.
In the Manipur violence, which broke out on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, and has been going on since then, more than 160 lives have been lost.