The two women who were shown in a May 4 video being paraded naked in Manipur, according to senior attorney Kapil Sibal, have reportedly filed a petition in the matter.
The CBI investigation and moving the trial to Assam was contested by two of the attack victims who were women. The Centre made it clear that it has not selected a state for the trial and that the SC alone must decide where it will take place.
“Violence against women is not limited to the viral video case in the state. The SC emphasized the need for a more comprehensive framework to stop such instances and take appropriate action.
I would personally oversee the CBI investigation, the attorney general R. Venkataramani promised the court. I am prepared to provide assurance of that nature.
Kapil Sibal said, “We want a court-monitored SIT instead of the CBI.”
“SG Tushar Mehta said, “The Center has no objections if the Supreme Court supervises the CBI investigation.
Top updates on Manipur violence hearing in Supreme Court:
Senior attorney Indira Jaising argued in favor of sending a powerful committee to Manipur to gather testimonies from the survivors. She said that the SC could use that report to determine the next course of action.
Colin Gonsalves, a top attorney, pushed for a SIT made from of retired senior police officers. He asserted that there is a plot to conduct rapes and that there have already been 16 such incidents. He asked the SC to oppose a CBI investigation and to tell the SIT not to include any Manipur police officers.
Additionally, they supported intervenors. The criminal process cannot conclude with the filing of a FIR, lawyer Vrinda Grover said. She claimed that two Kuki women who were employed by an Imphal carwash were murdered after being raped. She said, “The family is in relief camps and everything stopped after the filing of FIRs.”
Grover asserted that Kuki women are the targets of targeted violence, to which the SG opposed.
The Manipur police were criticized by the Supreme Court for the length of time it took to file no charges in the case. The judge questioned what prevented them from filing a FIR for 14 days and stated that there cannot be any reason for failing to file a zero FIR.
The court ordered the Manipur government to provide information regarding FIRs registered since May 3, arrests made, and actions taken in the case by tomorrow at 2pm. The SC refuses to hear complaints from other states, claiming that violence against women in Manipur is unprecedented.
In a ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court referred to the violence against women in the conflict-torn state of Manipur as being of “unprecedented magnitude” and declined to take into account a petition regarding alleged incidences of a similar nature in opposition-ruled states including West Bengal, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Kerala. Lawyer Bansuri Swaraj said the top court, which was hearing a number of appeals pertaining to the ethnic violence in Manipur, that cases of violence against women in West Bengal also needed to be taken into consideration and that the process being sought out should be applicable in other states as well.
“North-East citizens believed more in the Central government than their own government, therefore, they desisted from the militant group. Today, I find that the militant groups are being revived. It is not only Mizoram and Manipur that are on fire, but all the seven sisters (states),” says Prakash Ambedkar, president of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, on Manipur situation.
“Deeply disturbed by the video” SC
Also read: Opposition Shedding Crocodile Tears On Manipur Issue: Nirmala Sitharaman
On July 20, the Supreme Court stated that it was “deeply disturbed” by the footage showing two women being paraded naked in conflict-torn Manipur, stating that it is “simply unacceptable in a constitutional democracy” to use women as weapons of violence.
The Manipur government and the Center were ordered to take immediate corrective, restorative, and preventive measures after a bench led by the chief justice of India took notice of the video. The bench also requested updates on the actions taken.
In response to the horrifying video showing two women in Manipur being paraded naked and subjected to sexual violence during the state’s ethnic war, the Supreme Court took suo moto cognizance of the matter on July 20. The Center and the State Government were required by the court to advise it of the actions taken to prosecute the offenders. The court has made it clear that while it would give the administration some time to act, it would step in if action was not taken quickly.
