On 19 July 2023 a video surfaced showing two Kuki-Zo women being paraded naked by a mob in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on 4 May, a day after ethnic violence broke out. The first arrest came only on 20 July. Rallies followed in Churachandpur, Mizoram and other cities, and the CBI took over the case. As of March 2026 the trial in Guwahati was under way, with two accused on bail and three reported absconding.
Key takeaways
- The video of two Kuki-Zo women paraded naked surfaced on 19 July 2023; the assault took place on 4 May 2023 in Kangpokpi district, Manipur.
- PM Narendra Modi said on 20 July that the incident "can never be forgiven"; the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance the same day.
- Thousands marched in Churachandpur and across Mizoram; Meitei bodies such as COCOMI also condemned the assault.
- The CBI charge-sheeted six adults and a juvenile in October 2023; the trial was moved to Guwahati, where charges were framed in January 2026.
Background: the 4 May assault and the delay
Ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities broke out in Manipur on 3 May 2023, after a "Tribal Solidarity March" against the Meitei demand for Scheduled Tribe status PTI via Tribune.
The police complaint says an armed mob burnt a village in Kangpokpi district on 4 May, and took five fleeing villagers from a police team escorting them. According to the complaint, two men from the group were killed, the women were stripped, and one was gang-raped Scroll.
A zero FIR against "800-1,000" unknown persons was registered at Saikul police station in Kangpokpi on 18 May and forwarded to Nongpok Sekmai police station, police told Scroll Scroll. PTI separately reported that a complaint about the case was lodged at Saikul on 21 June PTI via Tribune. No one was arrested until the video spread.
How the video surfaced
The video began circulating on 19 July, the eve of a march planned by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) in Churachandpur and of the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The ITLF condemned the "sickening act" and noted the video "shows the identity of the victims" Tribune Al Jazeera.
Police arrested the main accused, Huirem Herodas Meitei, and three others on 20 July, and six including a juvenile by 22 July Scroll PTI via Tribune.
What the Centre and the state said
Government's position On 20 July, before the Monsoon Session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first public remarks on Manipur since the violence began. He urged all chief ministers to strengthen law and order IANS via Morung Express.
Today, my heart is filled with pain and anger. The incident of Manipur which has surfaced, for any civilised society, this is a very shameful incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Parliament House complex, 20 July 2023 (IANS)
State government's position Asked on India Today why the state did not know of the case, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said: "Who suppressed it for two months? The video was leaked only yesterday and we got to know then"; he added that "hundreds of similar cases have taken place, that is why we have banned the internet" The News Minute. He then called for statewide protests, telling PTI that "miscreants did this and tarnished our image" The Wire.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah later questioned the timing of the video. "Why did this video come before the start of the Parliament session? If someone had the video, they should have given it to the DGP and action would have been taken," he told the Lok Sabha on 9 August The News Minute.
The protests
Churachandpur march
Thousands dressed in black marched in heavy rain in a rally called by the ITLF. They demanded punishment for the perpetrators, a separate administration for the hills and the Chief Minister's resignation IANS via Morung Express.
Meitei women burn accused men's homes
Meitei women's groups known as Meira Paibis burnt the homes of two accused. "We condemn what happened to the women... The accused and their family will not be able to live in their village," one member told AFP AFP via UCA News.
Bengaluru and Hyderabad
More than 200 people protested at Bengaluru's Town Hall, and activists rallied at the Ambedkar statue in Hyderabad South First.
Women's sit-in in Churachandpur
A sit-in by the ITLF's women's wing at the "Wall of Remembrance" was believed to draw about 15,000 people, mostly women, Al Jazeera reported. The same report said nearly 400 people had protested in New Delhi with placards reading "Resign, Biren Singh" Al Jazeera.
Standoff over another arrest
About 500 Meitei women blocked roads to stop police arresting another suspect, saying he was not responsible; police left empty-handed, AFP reported AFP via UCA News.
Mizoram solidarity march
Rallies by the NGO Coordination Committee drew thousands across Mizoram, with Chief Minister Zoramthanga and MLAs of several parties joining the Aizawl march. Resolutions sought stringent punishment for those who paraded the women PTI via Tribune IANS.
Earlier, a body of former Mizo militants, PAMRA, appealed to Meiteis in Mizoram to "leave for their home state as a safety measure"; the Mizoram government ordered extra security for them IANS via Morung Express.
Both accounts
Kuki-Zo groups and protesters
The ITLF rally demanded a separate administration because tribal people were "not safe living with the Meitei community", and Biren Singh's resignation IANS. Claim · Survivors In the Supreme Court, the women's counsel Kapil Sibal accused the state police of collaborating with the culprits and asked for "an agency in which the victims have confidence". The CJI noted "statements by the victims" that they were "virtually handed over by the police to the mob" Tribune.
Meitei bodies, Centre and state
The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) condemned "the barbaric and uncivilised act" and said "the entire Meetei society is in deep shame" PTI via Tribune IANS via Sentinel. Claim · COCOMI It also disputed reports of gang rape and accused TV channels of "exaggerated" reporting; the complaint and CBI chargesheet allege gang rape. Government's position The Solicitor General told the court "the moment the Centre came to know, action was taken" LiveLaw. Shah said 36,000 central personnel had been deployed and violence was declining The News Minute.
The Supreme Court steps in
On 20 July a bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud took suo motu cognisance. "We are very deeply disturbed by the videos," the CJI said. The order said "using women as instruments to perpetrate violence is simply unacceptable in a constitutional democracy" LiveLaw.
On 31 July the bench called it "a horrendous crime" and asked: "Why did the police take 14 days to register the FIR?" Tribune. On 1 August it said the investigation was "tardy" and spoke of an "absolute breakdown" of law and order, summoning the state's police chief. The Solicitor General said 6,532 FIRs had been filed LiveLaw. On 7 August it named three retired women High Court judges, including former Chief Justice Gita Mittal, to oversee relief Verdictum.
Parliament and the no-confidence motion
The opposition blocked proceedings from the session's first days, demanding a statement and debate led by the Prime Minister; the government offered a short-duration discussion Al Jazeera Scroll. The INDIA bloc moved a no-confidence motion on 26 July to force Modi to speak on Manipur Scroll.
Opening the debate on 8 August, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi asked why it took Modi "80 days to say anything" The News Minute. On 10 August Modi spoke for two hours and twenty minutes and reached Manipur only after opposition MPs walked out. He said "there will be peace in Manipur in the near future". The motion was defeated by voice vote Scroll.
CBI case and trial in Assam
On 27 July the Centre told the Supreme Court the CBI would investigate, and asked for the trial to be moved outside Manipur Bar and Bench. On 25 August the court moved pre-trial steps in CBI-probed cases to designated courts in Guwahati, accepting the state's concerns about security and "judges in Manipur belonging to particular communities". Witnesses may testify online from Manipur LiveLaw.
The CBI filed a chargesheet against six people and a report against a juvenile in Guwahati on 16 October 2023, on charges including gang rape, murder and criminal conspiracy PTI via Deccan Herald Outlook. Claim · CBI chargesheet Details reported in April 2024 said the women had taken refuge in a police vehicle, were told "there was no key", and were driven towards a mob of about 1,000 before the police left Outlook. In March 2026 the CBI said the role of the police personnel was still under investigation The Hindu via Catholic Connect.
Developments in 2025 and 2026
Biren Singh resigned on 9 February 2025, and President's Rule was imposed on 13 February Onmanorama.
On 8 September 2025 the Gauhati High Court granted bail to two accused, Arun Khundongbam and Nameirakpam Kiran Meitei. It called the accusations "grave and shocking" but said over two years in custody "without even the framing of charges, largely on account of prosecutorial lapses" was unjustified Verdictum. In January 2026 the Guwahati special court framed charges against six accused Scroll.
In March 2026 The Hindu reported that three accused were still absconding, including the man accused of the two killings The Hindu via Catholic Connect. On 24 March 2026 the Supreme Court issued notice on the CBI's plea to cancel the two bails, the agency calling it "a gross case" Scroll.
Outcome
- Arrests: Four on 20 July 2023; seven by 1 August, per the Solicitor General.
- Charges: CBI chargesheet against six adults and a report on a juvenile, 16 October 2023; charges framed January 2026.
- Courts: Trial of CBI cases moved to Guwahati, 25 August 2023.
- Parliament: No-confidence motion defeated, 10 August 2023.
- Bail: Two accused bailed in September 2025; CBI challenge pending in the Supreme Court.
What is still pending
No verdict had been reported up to October 2026. The bail challenge, the three absconding accused and the police role remained open as of March 2026.
Questions people ask
When did the Manipur video incident happen?
The assault took place on 4 May 2023 in Kangpokpi district. The video surfaced on 19 July 2023, and the first arrest followed on 20 July.
Why was there a delay in arrests?
A zero FIR was registered on 18 May, but no arrest was made until the video spread. The Supreme Court asked why police took 14 days even to register it.
What did PM Modi say about the Manipur video?
On 20 July 2023 he said his heart was "filled with pain and anger" and that "no one will be spared".
Has anyone been convicted?
No conviction had been reported by October 2026. Charges were framed in January 2026, and two accused are on bail.
Sources
- Tribune/PTI: Tension in hill areas after May 4 video surfaces, 19 July 2023
- Scroll: Kuki women paraded naked in Manipur; police confirm FIR filed, 19 July 2023
- Scroll: Home of main accused set on fire, 21 July 2023
- Tribune/PTI: Juvenile apprehended; six arrested so far, 22 July 2023
- IANS via Morung Express: Manipur incident can never be forgiven, says PM Modi, 20 July 2023
- The News Minute: "There are hundreds of similar cases": Manipur CM, 20 July 2023
- The Wire: Video tarnished state's image, says CM Biren, 21 July 2023
- LiveLaw: Supreme Court takes cognizance of Manipur video, 20 July 2023
- IANS via Morung Express: Braving rain, tribals demand punishment, 20 July 2023
- Al Jazeera: India's tribal groups protest against Manipur mob sexual assaults, 22 July 2023
- AFP via UCA News: Indian women seek reprisals over "heinous" abuse video, July 2023
- South First: Fifth accused arrested; protests in Kochi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, 22 July 2023
- Tribune/PTI: Thousands demonstrate across Mizoram, CM Zoramthanga joins, 25 July 2023
- IANS via Morung Express: Thousands turn out for Solidarity March in Mizoram, 25 July 2023
- IANS via Morung Express: Mizoram orders enhanced security for Meiteis in Aizawl, 22 July 2023
- Tribune/PTI: Arrests after Manipur video; COCOMI statement, 20 July 2023
- Sentinel/IANS: No gang-rape, claims COCOMI, July 2023
- Tribune: "Horrendous": SC raps cops for delaying FIR, 1 August 2023
- LiveLaw: "Absolute breakdown of machinery of State": SC summons DGP, 1 August 2023
- The News Minute: Amit Shah questions the timing of the Manipur video, 9 August 2023
- The News Minute: No-confidence motion against NDA defeated, 10 August 2023
- Scroll: Opposition walks out during PM's no-confidence reply, 10 August 2023
- Bar and Bench: Centre orders CBI probe, seeks trial outside Manipur, 27 July 2023
- LiveLaw: Supreme Court transfers CBI cases to Assam, 25 August 2023
- Deccan Herald/PTI: CBI files chargesheet in Manipur case, 16 October 2023
- Outlook: CBI chargesheet says cops did not help women, 30 April 2024
- Onmanorama: President's Rule imposed in Manipur, 13 February 2025
- Verdictum: SC issues notice on pleas to cancel bail, 24 March 2026
- Scroll: CBI moves SC against bail of accused, 24 March 2026
- Catholic Connect (republishing The Hindu): Three years on, justice still eludes Kuki-Zo women, 16 March 2026