The horrendous stories continue to pour in from ethnic violence-hit state Manipur, days after visuals of tribal women being paraded naked by a mob of men surfaced on social media.
This time the horror case is from the state’s Kakching district.
“At Serou village, the 80-year-old wife of a freedom fighter was locked inside her house and set on fire by an armed group, according to a case filed with Serou police station. Her husband, S Churachand Singh, who died at 80, was a freedom fighter who was honoured by former President APJ Abdul Kalam,” NDTV reported.
The report said the incident took place in the early hours of May 28.
The report said the once picturesque village now bears witness to the devastation caused by the ethnic-violence in the state, as bullet marks and burnt houses can be seen all across the area.
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“80-year-old Ibetombi, the wife of the freedom fighter, was inside the house that was allegedly locked from outside by those who attacked her village. They set the house on fire. The blaze had engulfed the entire structure by the time her family could come to rescue her,” the report quoted Premkanta, 22, the grandson of Ibetombi (victim).
Premkanta as per the report “escaped death by a very slim margin - bullets had grazed his arm and thigh as he tried to save his grandmother.”
"When we came under attack, my grandmother told us to run now and return for her after some time. 'Come back to get me,' she said as we left. Those were her last words, unfortunately," he was quoted as having said.
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"At 2.10 am, we fled as we were frightened and she (Ibetombi) insisted we run to safety first and send someone to rescue her later. We took shelter at our local MLA's house, frightened as the firing continued. Then we told our boys to go and rescue her at 5.30-6 am. By the time they went, the house was completely consumed by fire," another person Tampaksana was quoted in the report as having said.
