Centre steps up social media vigilance after Manipur female controversy

Government agencies and security forces have enhanced their inspection of all incidences in the state amid shock and disgust over the video showing two women being sexually raped and paraded naked in Manipur  during in the midst of the ethnic clashes.

The agencies have increased their scrutiny of internet sites in response to a rash of violent incidents that started on May 3. The majority of the almost 6,000 charges that have been brought so far involved arson and damage to government property.

As we've heightened our monitoring efforts, we've been successful in debunking numerous potentially incendiary claims before they could escalate, said a senior official. The strategy aims to curtail the spread of disinformation, with a particular focus on social media platforms, which have seen a surge in purported incidents in Manipur. The authenticity of the footage is cross-verified before taking action, NDTV reported.

Due to a lack of resources, severe crimes like murder and assault have been difficult to investigate in local police stations during this tumultuous time. According to a source, many police stations are working with a skeleton staff, and upholding law and order has become the main focus. The centre has sent out 135  companies  to help the state police deal with these difficulties and maintain law and order. Despite isolated occurrences still happening, the situation has allegedly been getting better.

On July 19, Horrific videos of two young women being paraded naked on a road by a mob in Manipur have been widely circulated on social media, drawing widespread condemnation and demand for strictest actions. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) claimed that the two women were also gang-raped in a paddy field after being paraded naked on May 4, and demanded stern actions against the perpetrators.