A video of a woman being brutally beaten by a group of women in combat dress is being widely shared across social media platforms, with the claim that it shows an attack on a Muslim woman by Hindus in Manipur (here, here, here, and here). In the video, we see a group of women brutally beating a middle-aged woman lying on the ground with sticks. Through this article, let’s fact-check the claim made in the post.
Claim: Video showing an attack on a Muslim woman by Hindus in Manipur.
Fact: According to reports and a clarification from the Manipur Police on X (Twitter), there is no communal angle involved in this incident, and the victim is allegedly a drug dealer. Hence, the claim made in the post is Misleading.
To verify the authenticity of the viral video and gather more information, we conducted a Google reverse image search. This search led us to multiple social media posts sharing the viral video with the same claim (here, here, here). During this search, we found several replies to X (Twitter) posts with the video, which stated that the incident does not have any communal angle, that both the victim and the assailants are Muslims, and that the victim is allegedly a drug dealer (here, here, here). One of the posts mentioned that more information regarding this incident is available on a Facebook page named ‘Manipur Fact Check.’
Taking this as a cue, we then conducted a related keyword search on Facebook and found a post on the ‘Manipur Fact Check’ page. The post contained information about the incident and also featured another video showing the same incident with visuals of the same woman seen in the viral video (archived post).
According to a post by ‘Manipur Fact Check,’ the victim is identified as Ibem Begum from Hapta Golapati, Imphal, Manipur, an area currently experiencing violence primarily related to drug issues. The post states that local sources have confirmed that Mrs. Ibem is a known drug dealer and a key figure in the drug trade. The Facebook post also identifies the assailants as members of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), a banned insurgent group in the area, based on the logos and insignia seen in the video. It claims that the assailants are also Muslims and suggests that the video depicts an internal community issue, where the Ningol Brigade of the UNLF is punishing a woman from their own community for drug dealing.
According to reports, a faction of the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), a Meitei insurgent group, signed a peace pact with the Union and state governments in November 2023 (here, here, & here).
The Manipur Police also issued a clarification regarding the viral video on their official X(Twitter) handle, stating that there is no communal angle to the incident. The post reads: “#FAKE Miscreants beat up a woman allegedly involved in drug peddling. The police have taken up a case in this regard. There is no communal angle involved.”
We then contacted the Manipur Police to learn more about the incident. A senior police official from the Manipur Cyber Crime Wing confirmed to Factly that the incident was indeed from Manipur and stated that there is no communal angle involved. The official also mentioned that the woman was beaten by a group of UNLF members for alleged drug trafficking.
Subsequently, through further searches, we found several posts on Facebook (here, here) indicating that the victim in the viral video was a drug dealer. One of the posts features a press release dated 17 July 2024, issued by an organization called the Manipur Meitei Pangan Revolutionary Army (MMPRA). According to this press note, Muslims are known as Pangals or Pangans in the Meitei dialect. The release in Meitei states that no other organization will be allowed to interfere with the regulation of drug sales and consumption in the Pangal community, except the MMPRA. The press release also lists the names of the alleged drug kingpin Mohammed Taj Khan and his family members, including Mumtaz, alias Ibem Begum. However, we could not independently verify the exact details of this incident. Police clarifications and reports suggest that there is no communal angle involved.
To sum up, video of a woman assaulted in Manipur is being shared with a misleading communal narrative.
