Manipur Violence: Freedom Fighter’s Wife Reportedly Locked Inside House, Burnt Alive Amid Ethnic Clashes in Northeastern State
Ibetombi, the freedom fighter's 80-year-old widow, was inside the home that was supposedly sealed from the outside by some individuals. The home was set on fire by them.
Imphal, July 23: Days after a video of tribal women being paraded nude by a crowd of men circulated on social media, more accounts of unthinkable horror are emerging from Manipur, the northeastern state plagued by ethnic strife.
According to a report made to Serou police station, an armed group imprisoned the 80-year-old wife of a freedom fighter inside her home in Serou village in Kakching district before setting it ablaze. Former President APJ Abdul Kalam commemorated her late husband, independence warrior S Churachand Singh, who passed away at the age of 80. Manipur Viral Video: Another Accused, Who Paraded Tribal Women Naked, Arrested From Thoubal District.
The event happened in the wee hours of May 28, when there was intense rioting and gunshots exchanged in Serou. Serou was a picturesque village around 45 kilometres outside of the state capital Imphal before the unrest broke out on May 3.
According to a report by NDTV, all that is left are burned-out dwellings and gunshot holes in the walls. When the Meiteis, a valley-majority tribe, and the Kuki tribe, a hill-majority tribe, clashed over the Meiteis' quest for Scheduled Tribes (ST) designation, it was one of the worst-hit villages. Manipur Viral Video: Sixth Accused Arrested in Connection With Tribal Women Paraded Naked by Mob in Kangpokpi District.
Ibetombi, the freedom fighter's 80-year-old widow, was inside the home that was supposedly sealed from the outside by some individuals. The home was set on fire by them. Premkanta, 22, the grandson of Ibetombi, told NDTV that by the time her relatives arrived to save her, the fire had already consumed the entire building. Premkanta further said that he narrowly avoided death after being shot in the arm and leg while attempting to save his grandma.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 23, 2023 10:18 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).