00:00 A massive protest rally surged through the streets of Manipur's Churachandpur.
00:14 The fresh protests come a day after a two-month-old distressing video showing the public humiliation
00:20 and abuse of two tribal women went viral.
00:23 The 26-second video, which went viral on Wednesday, revealed two women being paraded naked and
00:27 sexually assaulted by a mob of men.
00:30 The video triggered widespread outrage and demands for justice.
00:33 Manipur police announced on Thursday that they have detained one of the primary suspects
00:37 visible in the video.
00:39 The accused, identified as 32-year-old Huirim Hiradas, was arrested in Thaubal district.
00:44 The police said that the accused is believed to be the mastermind behind the horrific incident.
00:48 Following the surfacing of the video, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh assured the public
00:52 that stringent measures would be taken against all culprits involved in this heinous act,
00:57 including the possibility of capital punishment.
01:00 After the video went viral, several police units were formed to investigate the incident.
01:05 Singh affirmed that a thorough investigation was underway and no stone would be left unturned
01:09 to ensure justice for the victims.
01:12 The incident, which comes against the backdrop of ongoing ethnic clashes in Manipur, drew
01:16 condemnation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
01:19 In his first comments on the conflict, PM Modi labelled the assault as "shameful" and
01:24 promised "stern action".
01:26 In a parliamentary session, PM Modi expressed his anguish over the incident.
01:30 He stressed the need for stronger law enforcement measures across all states.
01:35 The turmoil in Manipur began in early May following a court order urging the state government
01:39 to contemplate extending the economic benefits and quotas enjoyed by the tribal Kuki people
01:44 to the majority Maitei community.
01:47 The violence had initially subsided by mid-May, but sporadic conflicts and killings resumed
01:52 soon after.
01:53 The conflict has left hundreds injured and more than 40,000 displaced from their homes.
01:58 Amid this, the surfacing of the disturbing video has led to national outrage, with the
02:02 authenticity of the video yet to be verified.
02:04 The Supreme Court has also expressed its profound disturbance over the incident.
02:08 Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachul stated that in a constitutional democracy, it is
02:13 unacceptable.
02:14 The court has asked the government to apprise it of the steps taken to apprehend the perpetrators
02:18 and prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
02:33 [BLANK_AUDIO]
