Manipur Violence: Do Not Proceed Recording Statements Of Women, SC Tells CBI

The Supreme Court on Tuesday intervened in the Manipur sexual assault case, where the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is conducting the investigation. The court directed the CBI not to proceed with recording the statements of the victims at the moment as the matter was scheduled to be taken up by the court later in the afternoon.

The Chief Justice of India, D Y Chandrachud, presided over the bench and was informed that the CBI team had reached to record the statements of the women involved in the case.

The Chief Justice instructed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was present in court, to inform the CBI to wait for the outcome of the hearing scheduled for 2 pm that day. Mehta agreed to convey the message to the CBI team and stated that he was not aware of their visit to record the statements. He assured the court that the CBI would not take any action until further instructions. Mehta also acknowledged that the CBI's visit to record the statements was likely in good faith.

The case had gained widespread attention after a video showing two women being paraded naked and sexually assaulted in Manipur went viral the previous month. The incident sparked outrage and protests across the country. However, the two women involved in the case have opposed the transfer of the investigation to the CBI and have requested the establishment of a special investigation team to probe the alleged incident, reported The Indian Express.

The Supreme Court has summoned the Director General of Police (DGP) of Manipur to appear before the court on August 4.

SC On Violence Against Women

The Supreme Court of India, on Monday, emphasized that the atrocities committed against women in the Manipur violence cannot be justified or excused by comparing them to similar incidents in other states like Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan.

Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, made it clear that they are currently focused on addressing the unprecedented violence arising from communal and sectarian strife in Manipur. The court was responding to an advocate named Bansuri Swaraj, who is also the daughter of the late BJP leader and Union minister, Sushma Swaraj.

Bansuri's clients had requested the court to expand the scope of the present hearing on the Manipur violence to include similar crimes committed against women in other states. However, the court asked her to provide suggestions related to the Manipur incident alone and consider the issues related to other states separately.

The court reiterated that the ongoing violence in Manipur should not be excused merely because similar crimes are occurring in other parts of the country. The bench, comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, focused on addressing the specific issue at hand without comparing it to other incidents.

The Narendra Modi government had previously been accused by the Opposition of engaging in "whataboutery" after a video showing the savagery against two women in Manipur came to light. However, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, condemned the incident and asserted that such violence against women should not be a subject of political debate and must be addressed with urgency and seriousness.

During the court session, Bansuri Swaraj represented two interveners, the SS Human Rights Foundation from West Bengal, and the Delhi-based Sangini Saheli. Both organizations expressed grave concerns about the increasing crime against women in their respective states and sought the court's attention to the matter. The court asked them to present their concerns related to the specific incidents in their states separately from the ongoing hearing on the Manipur violence.

Internet Ban Eased In Manipur

Responding to the difficulties faced by citizens due to the internet ban, the Manipur government took a significant step by partially lifting the restrictions. In an order issued on July 25, the government allowed the resumption of broadband services while keeping the ban on mobile internet intact. The decision came after considering the impact of the ban on crucial aspects of daily life, such as offices, educational institutions, health facilities, cooking gas booking, and various other citizen-centric services that rely on internet connectivity.

The home department outlined specific terms and conditions for the restoration of broadband services, emphasizing the need to maintain control and prevent misuse of the internet. One of the conditions mandates the blocking of social media websites and virtual private networks (VPNs) at the local level. To ensure compliance, internet connections will only be permitted through static IP addresses, and subscribers must not use any other unauthorized connections.

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