A group of outraged women has set fire to the homes of four suspects of forcing two women to parade naked in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, where ethnic clashes have left at least 120 dead in recent months, according to a video released on Friday.

The suspects were identified from a video of the incident, which occurred in early May, which went viral on social media on Wednesday and caused outrage across the country.

"Four accused were arrested in the case of the viral video," Manipur state police wrote on Twitter late Thursday.

The footage shows two women from the Kuki Christian tribe walking naked down a street, mocked and harassed by a mob, allegedly from the dominant Meitei ethnic group, mostly Hindu.

After the suspects' arrest, a group of Meitei activists threw hay at the home of one of the accused in Imfal, the state capital, and set it on fire.

Another group of women followed suit Friday, burning the home of a second suspect.

India is usually a conservative and patriarchal country, but in the Meitei community, women have a more important role than elsewhere and a history of fighting for their rights.

The state of Manipur has been the scene of ethnic clashes in recent months, sparked mainly by the possibility of the Meitei gaining preferential status over the Kuki.

The outbreak of violence between the two tribal groups, the worst in decades, has left at least 120 dead and thousands displaced.

Repugnant acts

The video that went viral on Friday triggered demonstrations across the country, calling for the resignation of the head of the local government.

"Are there normal people who can do that? (...) Not even cats, dogs, animals commit such disgusting acts," said a protester near Imfal.

The images also drew a reaction from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Thursday called the incident "an embarrassment to any civilized society."

The local government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said police took action as soon as the video was released, more than two months after the incident.

On Twitter, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh said a "thorough investigation" was underway.

"We will ensure that strict measures are taken against all perpetrators, including the possibility of capital punishment."

The violence in May erupted after a protest march against the possibility of the Meitei community gaining the more advantageous status of "registered tribe", which would guarantee them quotas for public employment and admission to universities.

This hypothesis revived long-standing fears of the Kuki tribe that the Meitei may acquire land in areas currently reserved for them and other tribal groups.

In a report filed with a court in June, the civil society group Manipur Tribal Forum stated that many acts of violence, including rape and beheadings, had been committed without local authorities opening investigations.

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