Youths press CM punishment to gang rapists

Youths representing various organisations of the state today staged a sit-in at Keishampat in Imphal protesting against the gang rape of two school girls on Cheiroaba night by seven persons and demanded to punish the rapists at the earliest.
Members of Khangabok Development Student Union, Thoubal, Social and Youth Progressive Organisation, Heirok, Youth’s Forum for & Protection of Human Rights, Imphal East, Human Rights forum, Imphal West and Social Youth Development, Kakching staged the sit-in rally.
The youths’ organisations submitted a memorandum to the chief minister Nongthombam Biren Singh.
The protestors say the youths of today are experiencing many forms of violence in the state since the last many decades as the recent gang rape. Providing safety for the youth in the state and for the women in particular should be the primary task of the state. There are 97 cases of violence against women till date and 503 recorded cases of violence in 2016.
The memorandum laid down eight points—to punish the accused at the earliest; conduct ossification test to prove that the perpetrators are not juvenile; to frame the charge sheet at the earliest; assign experienced investigation officers for the particular rape case; provide special protection during festival seasons; establish gender policy at the earliest; provide special training to the women police and police officers on gender and child related issues; and change the members of Child Welfare Committee and Child Line with experienced child friendly persons.