The Supreme Court has taken note of the viral video showing women being paraded naked in Manipur and is considering appropriate action after hearing both sides briefly. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud pointed out the lack of evidence at this stage and emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to address violence against women in strife-torn Manipur. The court also inquired about the number of registered FIRs in similar incidents since May.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, expressed no objection to the apex court monitoring the investigation into the Manipur violence. The bench, comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justice J B Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra, is hearing a batch of petitions related to the violence in Manipur.
One of the petitions was filed by two women who appeared in the video, and senior advocate Kapil Sibal represented them. The batch of petitions also includes a plea from the Manipur Tribal Forum, Delhi, seeking protection for the Kuki tribe by the Army, and another petition filed by Dinganglung Gangme, the chairman of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC), challenging the Manipur High Court’s directive to consider the inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, appearing for the Kuki side, opposed the CBI probe and instead sought an investigation by a Special Investigation Team comprising retired DGPs, with no officers from Manipur. On the other hand, senior advocate Indira Jaising proposed the formation of a High Powered Committee with women from Civil Societies to handle sexual assault cases, emphasizing the need to build confidence among survivors.
The apex court, on July 20, expressed deep concern over the video and emphasized that using women as instruments of violence is unacceptable in a constitutional democracy. Since May 3, when the ethnic violence erupted due to the issue of ST status for the Meitei community, numerous casualties and injuries have occurred in Manipur. The court directed the Centre and the Manipur government to take immediate remedial, rehabilitative, and preventive steps in response to the video.
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