Image Source: AGENCIES

The four men arrested were held in police custody for 11 days on July 21, amid growing protests over the sexual assault of two women in Manipur, and in a second incident linked to the incident, angry locals set fire to another suspect's home.

Women shout slogans during a demonstration against ongoing violence in Manipur, Imphal, July 21, 2023.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said the government was ready to discuss the issue at a cabinet meeting after talks between the Senate and Senate stalled for the second day in a row over the issue of ethnic violence in Manipur. Opposition MPs called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to issue a statement and then hold a debate.

With Manipur police launching a full-scale investigation to catch all the perpetrators, the FIR filed a sexual assault case on June 21, detailing how a group of about 1,000 armed men stormed a village in the Kampokpi district, setting homes on fire, looting, killing, and raping two women from the tribe before kidnapping them.