Nearly a year after the harrowing incident of stripping and parading two women naked in Manipur’s Churachandpur came to light, more disturbing details have come to the fore in a chargesheet submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

According to the chargesheet, just before a mob paraded the two women from the Kuki-Zomi community and assaulted them sexually, they had “managed to sit inside the police Gypsy” parked on the roadside. However, the police driver told them “there is no key” as they requested the police to start the vehicle, Indian Express reported.

Two other male victims were also present inside the police Gypsy. Subsequently, all the policemen on the scene left the area, leaving the victims vulnerable as a large mob forcibly removed them from the vehicle, the chargesheet claimed.

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A video, which had gone viral in July 2023 and had triggered nationwide outrage, showed the two women — one in her 20s and the other in her 40s — being made to walk naked towards a field amongst a mob of men. Some men could be seen dragging the two women, groping and sexually assaulting them.

Two family members of the women were also murdered by the mob that numbered around 800-1000, according to the FIR, Hindustan Times had earlier reported.

The violent incident took place on May 3, 2023. The chargesheet was filed against six people and a juvenile before a special court in Guwahati in October.

“A spate of incidents took place at other places thereafter. Mob belonging to the Meitei community initiated an attack on one village by setting houses on fire and also targeted a few residences in neighbouring villages. The mob deliberately set the church on fire. Investigation also revealed that on May 4, there was a meeting of the pradhans of surrounding Meitei villages and the chiefs of other community villages. However, despite the decision taken in the meeting, the mob burnt down the church, some houses and nearby villages,” the CBI said in the chargesheet, IE reported.

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“Probe has revealed that out of fear, the complainant, three victims and two men, another man with his daughter, and a grand-daughter, ran into the forest. The mob noticed the hiding place of members of a family and upon seeing them started shouting ‘people are hiding here’,” the chargesheet stated.

“The members of the mob with a big axe in hand rushed towards them and threatened them saying, ‘the way you people in Churachandpur treated us (Meitei people), we would do the same thing to you’. The mob forcefully brought all the family members to the main road and separated them, taking one of the victims and her granddaughter in one direction. Two women and their father and their village chief in one direction, while two women and two men in another direction,” the CBI said.

The CBI chargesheet noted that some people in the mob told the victims to approach a police gypsy parked nearby on the roadside of a village.

“While approaching the police gypsy, the mob again separated the victims…Two (women) victims managed to get inside the police Gypsy. Two policemen along with a driver dressed in plain khaki uniform, were with them inside the police gypsy, and three to four policemen were outside. One male victim requested the policemen to start the vehicle, however, the driver of the police Gypsy replied, ‘there is no key’. They kept on begging the policemen repeatedly to help them and save a man being assaulted by the mob, but the ‘police did not help them’,” the CBI said in the chargesheet.

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“…The driver of Gypsy suddenly drove and stopped the vehicle near the violent mob of around 1,000 people, and the male victim again requested the police to start the vehicle, but he was asked to keep silent. After some time, one police personnel came and told his colleagues that the man had stopped breathing. On hearing this, the male victim told the woman victim that his father was beaten to death,” the CBI said in the chargesheet.

The CBI investigation revealed that a large mob returned towards the police gypsy and shook the vehicle. “They pulled out a male victim and two women victims from inside the Gypsy. The policemen, meanwhile, left from the spot leaving the victims alone with the mob. They tore off the clothes of both the women victims and started thrashing a male victim… One of the woman victims was present at the nearby spot and witnessed the entire incident,” the CBI said.

The accused have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those pertaining to gangrape, murder, outraging the modesty of a woman, and criminal conspiracy.

“The chargesheet has been filed against: Huirem Herodash Meitei (32), who was arrested by Manipur police on July 20, Arun Khundongbam alias Nanao (31), arrested by Manipur police on July 21, Ningombam Tomba Singh alias Tomthin (18), arrested by Manipur police on July 20, Pukhrihongbam Suranjoy Meitei (24), arrested by Manipur police on July 22, Nameirakpam Kiram Meitei (30), arrested by Manipur police on July 24 and a juvenile, apprehended by Manipur police on July 20,” the chargesheet said, IE reported.

More than 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic strife between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kukis since May 3 last year.