Protest Over Sex Assault Bid On Woman In Manipur's Churachandpur; Masked Man Mocks Soldiers

A huge protest broke out in Manipur's Churachandpur district after allegations surfaced that a shopkeeper tried to sexually assault a woman. The district administration imposed a curfew to control the situation.

The incident happened in Tuibong subdivision of the hill district dominated by the Kuki tribes, some 65 km from the state capital Imphal.

The shopkeeper, a non-local, was accused of trying to sexually assault a tribal woman, following which huge crowds came out on the streets seeking action against the accused.

The situation escalated when they blocked roads and set logs on fire. They also called a 12-hour shutdown that ended on Wednesday evening.

The protesters took out items from the accused's shop and burned them on a road.

In the order announcing the curfew, Churachandpur District Magistrate Dharun Kumar S said the police gave a report raising concerns over the law and order situation in Tuibong subdivision.

Amid the protests in Churachandpur, a video of a masked man mocking a group of soldiers in the town also went viral on social media. The man was seen running towards the soldiers, who were standing beside an armoured vehicle, and gesturing to them he'd punch them. He did a few push-ups too. Others around him clapped and cheered, while the soldiers looked on.

A user on X shared the video.

Churachandpur is one of the districts included in the Kuki tribes' demand for a separate administration carved out of Manipur. The Kuki tribes and the valley-dominant Meiteis have been fighting since May 2023 over a range of issues such as land rights and political representation.