Continued crimes against girls in Manipur as another girl joins list

30 October, 2012

One or the other girl in Manipur is being raped and murdered since August this year. Another girl has been reported missing in Manipur. The incident comes in the wake of the burning issue of date gang-rape of a girl by two boys in a Manipur restaurant within this week. During the last two months, Manipur has witnessed rapes and murders of girls.

“I AM in a hilltop, help me” was the SMS sent by her on October 19 last. Nongthombam Bineshwori Devi daughter of N. Khogen Singh of Phumlou Siphai Mamang Leikai in Imphal West district of Manipur has been reportedly missing since a fortnight back. The 16-year-old girl went out from her house with one of her friends on October 13 and never returned. As Bineshwori did not return that night, family members thought that she might have eloped with somebody. However, nobody turned up to inform of the elopement the next day which must be generally done in Meitei tradition. Family members are suspicious that the girl might have been detained by unknown armed persons somewhere in a hilltop. Police case was registered on 15 October and the SMS was received on 19 October.

The incident comes in the wake of the burning issue of date gang-rape of a girl by two boys in a Manipur restaurant within this week. During the last two months, Manipur has witnessed rapes and murders of girls. An HIV positive girl also died due to negligence of the health authority. Two school-going girls were raped by alleged deserter-cadres of the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) in the Khoupum area of Tamenglong district on 5th October last. There was also the report brutal murder of Kh. Catherine in Chandel district of Manipur on 3rd October last.

Maibam Miranda Devi, Laishram Sumitra Devi and Sinam Sonia Devi had earlier met the same fate during the last two months. It was only on 14th August this year that a five year old girl Maibam Miranda was found brutally killed at Wabagai Tentha Thambal hillock, 7 kms north from Kakching police station in Thoubal district. 11 year old girl, Laishram Sumitra Devi of Top Makha Leikai in Imphal east district was found hung to death inside the kitchen on September 13 under suspicious circumstances. There was also news of a girl, Sinam Sonia studying in class XI in Vision Creative Science, Thoubal reportedly found hanging with a rope from the beam.

Child insecurity is a burning issue in Manipur, where the government agencies remain asleep for a long time. Investigations into such crimes have not been adequately made public. The public wants to trace the outcomes of inquiries. Media agencies of the state may also effectively follow up the investigations and insist the government to help deliver justice to the affected and victimized.