Outrage in Manipur as 9-Year-Old Tribal Girl Found Raped and Murdered in Relief Camp
Imphal, March 22, 2025 – A wave of grief and anger has swept through Manipur following the horrific rape, sexual assault, and murder of a 9-year-old tribal girl, a Class II student, in a relief camp in Churachandpur District. The young girl, an internally displaced person (IDP) uprooted by the ongoing ethnic turmoil in the state, was found dead late Thursday night, sparking widespread condemnation and renewed calls for justice.
Manipur Pradesh Congress President K. Meghachandra took to social media to express his deep sorrow and solidarity with the victim’s family, pledging every possible effort to secure justice for the child. “I share the pain and suffering of the family members of the child and will extend every possible help to the bereaved family,” he wrote in a poignant Facebook post. The incident has cast a dark shadow over the state, which has been under President’s Rule since February 13, 2025, following nearly two years of unrelenting ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities.
The timing of the tragedy is particularly stark as a delegation of Supreme Court judges, including Justices BR Gavai, Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, MM Sundresh, KV Viswanathan, and N. Kotiswar Singh, alongside High Court of Manipur judges and state judicial officers, arrived in Churachandpur today to inspect relief camps. Their visit, organized by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to assess the conditions of IDPs and bolster legal and humanitarian aid, has now been overshadowed by this brutal crime. Meghachandra urged the judicial delegation to prioritize justice for the slain girl, emphasizing the need for immediate action.
In his statement, Meghachandra also called on the Prime Minister of India to visit Manipur and meet with the children, women, and elderly who have been languishing in relief camps since the violence erupted on May 3, 2023. He criticized the silence of key authorities, including the President of India, the Governor of Manipur, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, noting their lack of response to the tragedy. “Under President’s Rule in Manipur, there have been no words of concern from either the President or the Governor on the rape and murder of our young tribal daughter,” he wrote.
The Congress leader further pressed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights to intervene and ensure accountability. Preliminary reports indicate that an FIR has been registered under stringent sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and four individuals have been detained for questioning, though the postmortem report is still awaited to confirm the full extent of the assault.
Meghachandra posed five pointed questions to the Prime Minister, amplifying the desperation of Manipur’s displaced population:
1. How long will the internally displaced persons of Manipur be forced to stay in relief camps?
2. When will they return to their original homes?
3. How many more children in relief camps will remain vulnerable to rapists and murderers?
4. Are the IDPs being made to wait for a visit from the Prime Minister instead of being sent back home?
5. When will the Prime Minister visit Manipur?
The ethnic conflict in Manipur, which has claimed over 250 lives and displaced more than 60,000 people, has left thousands in relief camps, grappling with inadequate resources and security. The rape and murder of the young girl have intensified demands for decisive action from both state and central governments, with critics pointing to a persistent “absolute breakdown of law and order,” as previously noted by the Supreme Court.
As the judicial delegation continues its mission today, distributing relief materials and inaugurating legal and medical camps, the focus has shifted to this devastating incident. The nation watches closely, awaiting answers and justice for a young life so brutally taken.