In a significant turn of events, the Supreme Court has intervened and stopped the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from recording the statements of two Manipuri women who were victims of a horrific assault. The CBI had planned to take the statements of the survivors, but the Apex Court's intervention came just two hours before the Apex Court itself was scheduled hear batch of petitions on August 1.
The counsel for the Manipuri women, Nizam Pasha, urgently brought the matter to the attention of Chief Justice Chandrachud, expressing concern about the CBI's intent to record the statements at noon on the same day of the court hearing. Sensing the urgency, Chief Justice Chandrachud instructed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to inform the CBI to wait until the outcome of the court hearing.
During the hearing, the court also considered appointing its own special investigation team to examine the allegations and cases of violence in Manipur. The CBI had taken over the Thoubal case, but the women had objected to this move made by the Centre with the consent of the Manipur government.
The Supreme Court had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident after a video showing the women being assaulted went viral on social media. The court had given an ultimatum to the Centre and the Manipur government to either bring the culprits to justice promptly or allow the judiciary to take action.
The Home Ministry had filed an affidavit acknowledging the heinous nature of the crime and emphasized that justice should be seen to be done to have a deterrent effect throughout the nation. The Centre had also requested the court to transfer the case to another state and complete the investigation and trial within six months from the date of filing the chargesheet.
CJI Chandrachud had earlier expressed deep concern over the visuals of the woman's assault, emphasizing that using a woman as an instrument of violence in a constitutional democracy was unacceptable.
Source Link
Picture Source :
