Manipur Assault Victim Succumbs to Trauma as Legal Battle Drags On
A young woman who survived a brutal sexual assault during the 2023 ethnic conflict in Manipur has died at her home. She was just 20 years old. Her passing comes while a Special CBI court in Guwahati continues to hear the case against her alleged attackers.
The woman's family shared her heartbreaking story with The Indian Express. They revealed she passed away on January 11 in Churachandpur district. Her mother was by her side during her final moments.
A Life Shattered by Violence
The horrific incident occurred on May 15, 2023, in Imphal. According to the family's account, four men abducted the woman from New Checkon area in the evening. They forced her into a car and subjected her to physical assault and gang rape.
"She remained unwell ever since that terrible day," her mother explained. "Fear took permanent residence in her heart. Her mind could never find peace again."
The young woman experienced constant depression and breathing difficulties following the assault. In her final days, she developed severe headaches and fever. With only a primary health center nearby, her family attempted home care with glucose and basic treatment. Unfortunately, she did not recover.
Displacement and Ongoing Trauma
The ethnic violence that erupted in Manipur on May 3, 2023, forced the family from their Imphal home. They had lived there for nearly thirty years before becoming refugees in their own state.
After spending over a year in Kangpokpi district, they relocated to Singat in Churachandpur. The victim's mother described how her daughter withdrew completely from normal life after the attack.
"She stopped her studies entirely," her mother recalled. "She avoided conversations with everyone. She preferred staying home with me, reading the Bible or magazines, watching television. That became her entire world."
The young woman had been a school student in Imphal with dreams of opening her own beauty parlor. Those aspirations ended abruptly with the assault. Medical professionals prescribed psychiatric and endocrinological medications, but her trauma proved overwhelming.
Legal Proceedings Continue
The family filed a zero FIR at Kangpokpi police station on July 21, 2023. This complaint detailed the abduction near an ATM, the beating by local residents, and the subsequent rape by armed men in a Bolero vehicle.
Porompat police station eventually registered the case, which was later transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Authorities arrested three individuals initially, though one was released due to insufficient evidence.
On May 19, 2025, prosecutors submitted a chargesheet against two accused persons: Keisham Lanchenba Meitei and Keisham Malemnganba Mangang. The charges include multiple serious offenses under the Indian Penal Code and the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The Special CBI court in Guwahati has yet to frame formal charges. On January 2, both accused appeared via video conference and expressed readiness for trial. The court granted them bail against a bond of Rs 30,000 each with one surety.
A Family's Grief and Uncertainty
The victim's cousin, Gogou, described her complete isolation in recent months. "Even when family or friends visited, she would close herself off and remain silent. She stayed exclusively with her mother, taking meals together but speaking to almost no one else."
The entire family currently resides with a relative in Singat. They include her father and three siblings. Tragically, the family admits they have received little information about investigation progress or possible arrests beyond the initial developments.
This case gained national attention in July 2023 when videos circulated showing Kuki-Zo community women being paraded naked during the Manipur conflict. The young woman's assault represented another shocking example of violence against women during those turbulent times.
Her death marks a tragic conclusion to a story that began with unimaginable violence and continued through displacement, trauma, and an unfinished legal process. The court case proceeds even as her family mourns their devastating loss.
