Manipur cops arrest 14 for 'forceful marriage, assault'

Manipur police arrested 14 persons including 10 women, who had allegedly forced a married woman to marry her neighbour by garlanding them with plastic bottles on October 6.

The mob also allegedly assaulted the woman's minor daughter, who tried to stop them.

The incident took place at Upokpi Khunao in Bishnupur district but a police team led by Superintendent of Police, Priyadarshani Laishram, managed to rescue the three victims.

"When we reached the spot, we saw a mob assaulting the man aged about 30 years and the women, who was three years older than him. They had garlanded the both and performed a forceful marriage. The mob alleged that the woman had an extra-marital affair with the man. They even paraded them in the open and and some of them assaulted her daughter, who tried to save her mother. We rescued the three victims and brought them to police station," Laishram told DH over phone, on Wednesday.

Sources said the mob had performed Keina Katpa — forceful marriage performed in villages if men and women were found involved in an "illicit relationship."

Based on a video of the mob attack, which was shared on social media next morning, police detained 14 persons and arrested them subsequently. They have been booked under Section 147 (riot), 341 (wrongful restraint), 352 (assault), 354 (assault to outrage modesty of a woman), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (act done by several persons) of IPC. Police also imposed Section 75 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act for assaulting the minor girl.

"The mob alleged that they had an extra-marital affair but no one has the right to take laws in their hands and attack someone. They were produced in a court and we have taken them into seven days custody for further investigation," Laishram said.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh, while condemning the incident said no such mob violence would be tolerated and strict action would be taken against those involved in the incident.

Manipur Assembly had passed the anti-mob lynching bill in December last year but is yet to be notified even as the state has witnessed several mob violence cases in the past few months.