Manipur viral video case: Centre cites THIS reason on referring case to CBI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been asked to investigate the Manipur viral video case that showed two Kuki Zo women being paraded naked by a mob of Meitei men. The Indian government's move comes after Opposition filed a no-confidence motion in the Lok Sabha against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led ruling dispensation. 

The Indian Government on Friday requested the Supreme Court of India to transfer the trial in the Manipur violence case outside the state.

Further, Centre also requested the top court to order the completion of trial, of the entire case regarding violence in Manipur, including the gang-rape case, in six months.

The Chief minister N Biren Singh-led Manipur government had recommended a CBI probe in the crime on 26 July. Further, the Ministry of Home Affairs, helmed by Union Minister Amit Shah, on 27 July recommended a CBI probe in the Manipur viral video case. 

Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla in a message to the court that the Centre is acting on the case with utmost seriousness. 

Seven persons have been arrested in the case so far.

The top court, on 20 July, took note of the incident and said it was "deeply disturbed" by the video and the use of women as instruments for perpetrating violence was "simply unacceptable in a constitutional democracy".

A bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud had directed the Centre and the Manipur government to take immediate remedial, rehabilitative and preventive steps and apprise it of the action taken.

"The approach of the central government is of zero tolerance towards any crimes against women. The central government considers the offences like the present one to be too heinous which deserve to be taken not only with the seriousness it deserves but justice should be seen to be done so that it has a deterrent effect throughout the nation with respect to crimes against women," it said.

This is one of the reasons why the Centre, with the consent of the state government, has taken a decision to entrust the investigation to an independent investigating agency, that is the CBI, the affidavit said.

The bench will hear pleas related to the ethnic violence in Manipur on 28 July.

Tension mounted in the hills of Manipur after a 4 May video surfaced last week that showed two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked by a few men from the other side.

The video was doing the rounds on the eve of a planned protest march announced by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum to highlight their plight.

At least 150 people have been killed and several hundred injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3 when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

The video from Manipur, coming ahead of the monsoon session of parliament, generated furore in the house, with the opposition demanding a statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

When the government made it clear that none was coming, the opposition took a circuitous route, pushing for a no-confidence motion against the government, which has been accepted by Speaker Om Birla.

Refuting the opposition's claim that Manipur "is burning", a senior government functionary on Thursday said that no killing has occurred in the state since July 18 and asserted that peace and normalcy will be restored soon through ongoing talks with the two warring communities -- Meiteis and Kukis.