She was eighteen when she was abducted and sexually assaulted.
At twenty, she died without seeing justice.
A woman from the Kuki-Zo community was among those affected by sexual violence during the ethnic clashes that began in Manipur in May 2023.
According to her First Information Report, she was abducted on 15 May 2023 from near an ATM in Imphal’s New Checkon area. She was allegedly handed over to armed men and taken to a hilltop, where she was sexually assaulted. She was later dumped into a creek.
She survived after being found by an autorickshaw driver. The following day, she left Imphal amid ongoing violence.
Over the next several months, she sought medical treatment in Manipur, Nagaland and Assam. She suffered physical injuries and psychological distress.
She filed an FIR on 21 July 2023. Two and a half years later, the case was still pending. No accused had been identified.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum said her injuries never healed. She died on 10 January 2026 while waiting for the case to be resolved.
Ethnic violence in Manipur began on 3 May 2023 between the Meitei and Kuki communities and continued for several months through intermittent clashes. According to official statements by the Manipur government, at least 250 people were killed and more than 60,000 people were displaced.
Her case remains unresolved.
