Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 17 2009:
Imphal West district police have reportedly begun investigation procedures into the alleged sexual harassment of six commercial sex workers, who were picked up from North AOC area recently.
The sex workers had alleged involvement of four Thoubal district police commando personnel in the said case.
According to a police source, an advocate formally lodged complaint on the matter and the investigation by a police team is being headed by an SDPO of Imphal West district police.
The victims are yet to file a formal complaint, the source disclosed while expressing that a final investigation report is likely to be completed and placed before the Superintendent of Police (Imphal West district) in 2-3 days.
Further revealing that statements of the six alleged victims and owner/manager of hotel, from where the six women were picked up have been recorded, the source confided of ongoing internal exercise to chaff out and identify the perpetrators from within the commando unit.
It had been reported that on the intervening night of February 27-28, four armed persons with three of them in police uniform and one in civies barged into a North AOC hotel rooms and forcibly unclothing the women molested them apart from inserting foreign objects into their private parts.
The police commandos are also accused of snatching money from the women victims.
Another source conveyed of five out of the six victims along with the hotel owner narrating the incident to police officials at Imphal West police station on March 13 after a police team on the previous afternoon insisted on their presence.
Having recorded their statements on the particular incident, the women victims were also asked to meet other top police officials who assured that necessary legal proceedings would be initiated against those found guilty.
Meanwhile, Manipur State Commission for women has also apprised Imphal West district police authorities for a thorough probe and submission of detailed report to the rights panel.