The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of a distressing video that has surfaced, depicting women being sexually assaulted amid the ongoing violence in Manipur. The court termed the video as a "deeply disturbing" and "grossest violation of constitutional rights." A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud, has sought explanations from both the central and state governments and directed them to ensure that such incidents are not repeated, warning of potential intervention if necessary.
Fixing the next hearing on July 28, the court demanded immediate remedial, rehabilitative, and preventive steps to hold the perpetrators accountable and prevent any recurrence of such atrocities. The court was deeply troubled by the video's content, which showed women being stripped and paraded by a mob. The victim's family members were also murdered during the incident.
The video, which went viral on social media, exposed the breakdown in the state's law and order administration, as the Manipur police took no action until the visuals garnered public attention. The court expressed its dissatisfaction with the lack of immediate action and urged the government to intervene effectively.
While the court is already handling multiple petitions related to the ethnic clashes in Manipur, this specific matter had not been listed for Thursday's hearing. However, the Chief Justice expressed his anguish and concerns about the incident, leading to the bench taking suo motu cognizance of the issue.
The court acknowledged that the video's date was uncertain but emphasized that its timing did not change the gravity of the situation. The bench instructed the governments to submit a report on actions taken by July 28.
Notably, the Supreme Court has previously taken a hands-off approach to security matters, citing the executive's domain over law and order. However, in this instance, the court expressed its willingness to closely monitor the situation in Manipur and intervene if necessary.
Meanwhile, the impasse in Parliament over the Manipur violence continued, with Opposition parties demanding a debate involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government expressed its readiness to discuss the situation, but the Opposition insisted on a reply from the Prime Minister.
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