The Central Bureau of Investigation will now investigate the issue of the two Kuki women who were paraded while naked by a crowd in Manipur. The Supreme Court was asked by the Ministry of Home Affairs to order that the trial take place outside of Manipur.
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The Ground Reality of the Issue
As a video from May 4 circulated on social media, depicting men from a single community parading two women from the opposing side naked, tension erupted in the hills of Manipur. When the incident occurred, there was mob violence in the Kangpokpi district following the burning of a village.
A relative filed a zero FIR, which prompted the police station in Nongpok Sekmai to open the case. In an effort to protect the victim from the mob, which also killed two men and gang-raped three other women, the victim’s brother also perished. Fortunately, the three women were able to flee with the help of some neighbors. Authorities are currently conducting an investigation in order to prosecute the criminals.
The Centre Asks CBI to Investigate
The government has zero tolerance for atrocities against women, especially those as horrific as the one in Manipur, the Centre underlined. It was said that justice must be served in order to have a national deterrent effect on crimes against women.
The Manipur government proposed on May 26 that the CBI take over the inquiry, according to the document. It stated that on Thursday, the recommendation was authorised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and transmitted to the Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training.
The Supreme Court was asked by the Ministry of Home Affairs to order that the trial be conducted outside of Manipur. The Supreme Court was further asked to issue an order mandating that the CBI wrap up the trial within six months of the charge sheet’s filing.
The Actions Taken by the Government
Heradas (32), the primary suspect, was reportedly detained by police in the Thoubal district. And the Chief Minister, Biren Singh, promised to punish the accusers severely.
In relation to the widely shared video that surfaced on July 19 showing two women being paraded naked by a mob in the conflict-torn northeast state, Manipur Police made their seventh arrest on Monday.
“Seven suspects in total, one of whom is a minor, have so far been detained or arrested in connection with the viral video case,” Manipur Police tweeted on 25th July. The ministry also emphasized the several precautions that had been taken to avoid a repeat of the Manipur catastrophe.
The action was ordered after the apex court noted the “deeply disturbing” occurrence and declared it “simply unacceptable in a constitutional democracy” to use women as weapons of violence. The Manipur government and the Centre were ordered to take action right away and report back to the court, which was presided over by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud.
CBI’s Role
A central police agency that could look into serious crimes committed by organised gangs and professional criminals as well as cases of bribery and corruption, violations of central fiscal laws, major frauds involving Government of India departments, public joint-stock companies, passport frauds, crimes on the high seas, and crimes on airlines was becoming increasingly necessary. As a result, the Central Bureau of Investigation was established by an Indian government resolution on April 1st, 1963.
The CBI is a powerful organisation today, maintaining public ideals and safeguarding the strength of the economy at large. It is also India’s top police agency for organising inquiries on behalf of Interpol Member countries.
If a case should be investigated by the CBI then the state must request a CBI probe and the Centre must consent, regardless of whether the case involves corruption in the state administration or a criminal act. The CBI may take over a case based on directives from the relevant High Court or the Supreme Court if the state does not make such a request.
The inquiry into the video is just one of many cases the CBI is looking into. The Home Ministry had requested the CBI to take over the probe of six incidents involving racial conflicts between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur in June. After visiting the violent northeastern state, Home Minister Amit Shah took this action.
The Public Reaction
After the viral spreading of the Manipur horror video there have been a number of protests held to denounce the violence carried out to women in the northeastern state. In the Parliament, there have been ferocious agitations and protests calling for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to issue a statement.
Points to be Noted
Only on July 25th did the Manipur government conditionally lift the ban on internet use, allowing only broadband access and continuing to forbid mobile internet.
Notably, on July 29 and 30, representatives of the Opposition alliance, INDIA, are scheduled to visit the burning state. Manickam Tagore, the whip for the Congress in the Lok Sabha, announced that a group of 20 opposition MPs will travel to Manipur this weekend.
Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Gaurav Gogoi, Premachandran, and Vandana Chavan are expected to be among the 20 MPs who would be in the state, according to reports.
