Shocking Domestic Violence Case in Manipur: Kuki Woman Tortured by Meitei Husband

Arrest of a Man for Domestic Abuse in Manipur

Imphal: On Monday, authorities in Manipur apprehended a man from the Meitei community for allegedly inflicting severe abuse on his wife, who is from the Kuki tribal community, according to police reports.

The suspect, identified as Inaocha Khaidem, was taken into custody following a domestic violence complaint filed at the women's police station in Churachandpur district.

The complaint detailed that Khaidem and his relatives subjected the 21-year-old Kuki woman, who married him a few years ago, to brutal treatment. She is currently receiving medical care at the Churachandpur district hospital.

Investigations into the matter are ongoing, as confirmed by officials.

The Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) has vehemently denounced the 'barbaric and inhumane' actions inflicted upon the Kuki woman by her husband and the Meira Paibis, a group of women vigilantes.

KWOHR's General Secretary, Kimneihoi Lhungdim, stated that the victim hails from the Tangjing area of Bishnupur District and has been living in New Checkon, Imphal.

According to a KWOHR statement, she suffered extreme physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her husband and the Meira Paibis. Reports indicate she was brutally beaten, restrained to a bed, and deprived of food and water for three days.

On Sunday, the woman was left at Ningthoukong Gate, where a neighbor found her and took her to a Kuki village. Upon arrival, she collapsed due to exhaustion and injuries, with her family discovering extensive bruising from the violence she endured.

In 2023, amidst ethnic violence, she had previously survived an attempted murder by members of the Meitei radical group 'Arambai Tenggol', who had slit her throat and abandoned her by the roadside.

Her survival was attributed to the timely intervention of the Manipur Police and subsequent medical assistance.

KWOHR expressed profound disappointment that the Meira Paibis, originally established to protect women's rights, have become agents of ethnic violence and hatred.

The organization highlighted that as the ethnic cleansing of Kuki communities by Meitei groups persists, the Meira Paibis have been complicit in acts of violence, including the rape and torture of Kuki women and girls, urging human rights organizations to condemn these ongoing atrocities in Manipur.