: In a major breakthrough, the Manipur police have arrested the prime accused and his accomplices in the rape of two girls, aged 10 and 11 years.
Six major students’ organisations have demanded public execution of the guilty.
One of the victims, a local girl, was staying at Nagamapal in Imphal.
In a joint statement, the students’ groups said that the girl was lured, kidnapped and sexually assaulted on June 10. The main accused, Rupesh Kumar Singh, was allegedly planning to “eliminate” the girl. The statement added that the students had collected evidence in this regard after talking to local residents.
The student leaders said that the minor victim would have met a gruesome death had the local residents not spotted her inside a jeep allotted to the accused by his company. They further said that other persons involved in the criminal assault of the girl and who were party to the plan to liquidate her should also be given a befitting punishment.
K. Dilipkumar, station house officer of the police station at Moreh, said, “We received official information from the medical officer of the Primary Health Centre, Moreh, on June 10 stating that a 10-year-old girl was brought after being raped”.
On further investigation, police were able to identify the accused. However, he had fled fearing arrest. Police have registered a case under the relevant law.
Mr. Dilipkumar said that the accused was Manglian Taothang, 33, a resident of Mission Veng. He was believed to have taken shelter in T. Bungon village, 36 km away from the police station along the international border.
The SHO said, “A special team comprising police and commandos went to the same village on June 10 itself. The raid party reached the village at 10 p.m. But it was only at 12.30 a.m. the same night that the accused was arrested.”
He added that the accused was in police custody and will face charges of raping the minor girls.
