IMPHAL, Oct 8: Amid the protests demanding justice,
women vendors of Khwairamband women market has
petitioned National Commission for Women (NCW) to take
up a case and initiate an investigation into the alleged
murder of 17-year-old girl Hijam Linthoingambi after being
kidnapped by armed miscreants.
Recently surfaced photos on the internet show Hijam
Linthoingambi, who went missing after she went out with a
20-year-old boy Phijam Hemanjit, was murdered by armed
miscreants.
The photos sparked widespread protests in Imphal and other
valley districts of Manipur. They demanded justice for the
two students presumed killed by booking the culprits.
The CBI investigating into the case had recently arrested four
persons including two women as suspects.
Joining the chorus demanding justice for the two teenage
students, Lukmai Sellup Foundation, a body of women
vendors of Khwairamband Women Market lodged a
complaint with the National Commission for Women, said
Asem Nirmala Devi, general secretary of the body, at a press
conference held at Manipur Press Club in Imphal recently.
The complaint was lodged under the section 10 of the
National Commission for Women Act, 1990 against
inordinate delay and ineffective investigation into the case of
deprivation of right of a minor girl, she said.
The general secretary of the body expressed that the girl was
suspected to have been killed after being tortured while
asserting that the women section of the society must
condemn atrocities and brutalities toward the girl at the
strongest term.
She expressed disappointment when the National
Commission for Women and Manipur State Commission for
Women did nothing to investigate the case when the
commission was not delayed in investigating the case of viral
video of two Kuki women paraded naked by a mob.
“The commission did not delay in registering a case when the
video of the two women being paraded naked went viral on
social media. However, the commission remained silent till
date when the photos of the murder of the girl surfaced on
social media platforms”, she lamented.
She demanded that the National Commission for Women and
the Manipur State Commission for Women take initiatives by
initiating an effective investigation and show that the
commissions stand for justice for the women.
She further urged the commissions not to be biased while
dealing with crime against women. Other leaders and
members of the Lukmai Sellup Foundation also attended the
press conference.
The Lukmai Sellup Foundation lodged the complaint at a time
various organisations particularly women’s bodies and
students’ bodies were continuing their protest demanding
justice for the two missing teenage students.
A candlelight vigil held at Changangei in Imphal West on
Friday night pressed that the government must ensure
transparency and give stringent punishment to all culprits of
the “murder case”. (NNN)
