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"Supreme Court Rebukes Manipur Government and Police Over "Breakdown of Constitutional Machinery"

The Supreme Court strongly criticized the Manipur government and its police force for the "complete breakdown of constitutional machinery" in the strife-torn state from May to July. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud expressed grave concern over the law and order situation, stating that the police appeared incapable of conducting proper investigations into cases of violence.

Summoning the Manipur DGP to Explain Delayed Probes

During the hearing of multiple petitions concerning the violence in Manipur, the apex court summoned Manipur DGP Rajiv Singh to personally explain the reasons behind the "tardy" probes in cases of "heinous nature." The court expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation conducted by the state police and sought tabulated data of FIRs based on the nature of offenses. The court asserted that the future course of action would be decided based on this information.

CBI Entrusted With Probing Sexual Assault Cases

The Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, informed the court that 11 FIRs were filed for sexual assault against women during the period of strife in Manipur. The court directed that all 11 FIRs can be entrusted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for investigation.

Supreme Court Condemns Violence Against Women

The Supreme Court previously criticized the Manipur police for the delay in filing an FIR in the case of the horrific video incident on May 4, where two tribal women were paraded naked in the strife-torn state. The court termed the violence against women in Manipur as "horrendous" and expressed its reluctance to allow the Manipur police to probe the May 4 incident.

Recording of Statements Put on Hold

The Supreme Court directed the CBI to suspend recording the statements of the tribal women victims in the viral video case until the main case is heard. The court also indicated its intention to set up a panel to record the statements of the survivors of the May 4 incident and establish a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case. The matter was posted for further hearing on a later date.

Women Victims Seek Alternate Probe and Security

The women victims involved in the case filed a plea against the CBI's investigation and requested security for themselves. They also sought a direction from the court to record their statements under Section 164 of the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) by the nearest area magistrate. The women expressed their preference for a probe into their case by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the court's monitoring.