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Kuki-Zo Woman Dies Nearly Three Years After 2023 Manipur Gang-Rape as Probe Stalls

Community groups cite a stalled investigation, renewing calls for justice.

Overview

  • The 20-year-old survivor died earlier this month after prolonged illness linked by family and medical records to injuries and trauma from a May 15, 2023 assault during the Manipur unrest.
  • Her statement and FIR describe an abduction near an Imphal ATM, assaults at multiple locations, a gang-rape on a Bishnupur hilltop, and an escape aided by an auto-rickshaw driver.
  • A zero FIR was filed on July 21, 2023 and the case was transferred to the CBI, with the family reporting no updates from investigators since.
  • Most reports note no arrests for the sexual assault, while an Indian Express account says a Special CBI court is hearing related charges against two men who are on bail after a May 2025 chargesheet not alleging rape.
  • Kuki-Zo organisations held a candlelight vigil in Churachandpur and demanded recognition of the death as conflict-linked, faster accountability, and, from some groups, a separate administration; Meitei women’s groups deny involvement alleged in the complaint.