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Manipur viral video: SC says incident came to light on May 4, asks why it took police 14 days to register FIR
- CJI DY Chandrachud asks the government why the police took 14 days to register the zero FIR. “Supreme Court questions why the FIR was registered on May 18 when the incident happened on May 4. What were the police doing from May 4 to May 18
The Supreme Court of India today came down heavily on the Central government and questioned it on the Manipur viral video in which two women were allegedly sexually assaulted and paraded naked by a mob. The apex court asked why the FIR in the case was registered on May 18 when the incident happened on May 4.
CJI DY Chandrachud asks the government why the police took 14 days to register the zero FIR. “Supreme Court questions why the FIR was registered on May 18 when the incident happened on May 4. What were the police doing from May 4 to May 18? The incident came to light that women are being paraded naked and at least two were raped. What were the police doing?” the Supreme Court asked the Central government. Inform us what kind of legal aid you are providing to victims, SC asks Centre and state govt.
“What was police doing? Why was an FIR in video case transferred to magisterial court on June 24, that is after one month and three days,” asked the bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra.
However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that government has nothing to hide. “This court can monitor the situation. Something coming from here or there will be hazardous,” he added.
“This is horrendous. There are media reports that these women were handed over to mob by the police. We also do not want the police to handle it,” the bench said.
When Attorney General R Venkataramani sought time for responding to the queries, the bench said it was running out of time and there was “a great need” for giving a healing touch to the state, for those who lost everything including their loved ones and their homes.
The bench asked the state government to provide the details about the number of 'zero FIRs' registered in the state torn by ethnic violence and the arrests made so far.
A zero FIR can be filed in any police station regardless of whether the offence was committed within its jurisdiction.
“We would also want to know the package for rehabilitation being provided to the state for affected people,” it said.
Earlier in the day, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the state government, told the bench the Union of India has no objection if the apex court decides to monitor the investigation in the cases of violence.
The top court called for evolving a broad mechanism to deal with violence against women and asked how many FIRs have been registered in such incidents in the state since May.
At the outset, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the two women who were seen in the May 4 video being paraded naked, said they have filed a petition in the apex court.
The supreme court had on July 20 said it was "deeply disturbed" by the video and that using women as instruments for perpetrating violence is "simply unacceptable in a constitutional democracy".
Taking cognisance of the video, a bench headed by the chief justice had directed the Centre and the Manipur government to initiate immediate remedial, rehabilitative and preventive steps and apprise it of the action taken.
*With agency inputs
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Business NewsNewsIndiaManipur viral video: SC says incident came to light on May 4, asks why it took police 14 days to register FIR
First Published:31 Jul 2023, 03:04 PM IST
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