’Can’t justify what happened in Manipur by saying this happened elsewhere...’: CJI Chandrachud on viral video case

The Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Monday slammed a lawyer during a hearing on the Manipur Viral video which saw two Kuki Zo women being paraded naked by a mob of Meitei men on 4 May. The CJI told the lawyer that there are crimes that are taking place against women across the country, that is India's social reality. “We are dealing with an unprecedented magnitude of violence against women in communal and sectarian strife.” the CJI was quoted saying by news agency ANI. 

“We are dealing with an unprecedented magnitude of violence against women in communal and sectarian strife. We cannot justify what happened in Manipur by saying that this and this happened elsewhere. Are you saying protect all women or don't protect anyone?” news agency ANI quoted the CJI.

The Supreme Court on Monday slammed the whataboutery that has ensued the sexual harassment cases in violence strife Manipur. While Opposition bloc has blamed the ruling dispensation in Manipur, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Chief Minister N Biren Singh for delaying action against the sexual harassment cases, the BJP leaders have has countered bringing up crimes aianst women in Rajasthan and West Bengal. 

During the hearing the lawyer had mentioned a plea saying what happened in Manipur, similar incidents happened in West Bengal and Rajasthan. The lawyer cited a video of the recently concluded Panchayat elections where allegedly a candidate was stripped and paraded naked in West Bengal. 

“Daughters pan India need to be protected” the lawyer said.

The claims of the lawyer seems to have echoed a point put up by the BJP dispensation across the country to counter the Opposition's claims.

Harping on the excess cases of crimes against women in India, CJI Chandrachud said that one crime cannot be justified by similar crimes that have taken place elsewhere.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud that the Union of India has no objection if the apex court monitors the investigation into the Manipur violence, news agency PTI reported. 

The bench, also comprising Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra, is hearing a batch of petitions concerning the violence in Manipur.

At the outset, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the two women who were seen in a 4 May video being paraded naked in Manipur, said they have filed a petition in the matter.

The apex court on 20 July observed that it was "deeply disturbed" by the video of two women being paraded naked in strife-torn Manipur, saying 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 of India directed the Centre and the Manipur government to take immediate remedial, rehabilitative and preventive steps and apprise it of the action taken.

On 27 July, the Centre informed the top court that it has transferred to the CBI the probe into a case related to two women being paraded naked in strife-torn Manipur, saying the government has "zero tolerance towards any crimes against women".

Many people have been killed and several hundred injured, displaced since ethnic violence between the Kiko Zo and Meitei community broke out in the state of Manipur on 3 May. 

Violent clashes started when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status."

(With inputs from PTI)