In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India has taken suo motu cognisance of a distressing video that emerged online on Wednesday, showing two Manipuri women belonging to the Kuki tribe being paraded naked and molested. Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud expressed deep concern over the video and asserted that the Court would take action if the government fails to act promptly.
The bench, comprising Justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Misra, has demanded a response from both the Central and State governments regarding the measures taken to apprehend the perpetrators responsible for this heinous act. The Court decried the incident as a gross constitutional abuse, using women as instruments in a region already fraught with communal strife.
Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, representing the Central government, strongly condemned the incident, assuring the Court that the government has already taken immediate steps to bring the culprits to justice. He emphasized that such actions are completely unacceptable and vowed to keep the Court informed about the outcome of their efforts.
The matter will be listed before the Supreme Court on July 28 for further consideration.
The current violence in Manipur stems from the resistance of certain tribes against the demand of the majority Meitei community to grant them Scheduled Tribes status. Clashes erupted after the Manipur High Court ordered the state government to consider the inclusion of the Meetei/Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe list within a specific timeframe, leading to tensions between tribal and non-tribal communities.
The appalling video, which went viral on social media, shows the two women being paraded naked by a mob of men and molested as they are forced towards a paddy field. Reports indicate that the incident occurred on May 4, and the women were allegedly gang-raped by the mob.
The Supreme Court is already dealing with various pleas related to the ongoing violence in Manipur. The state government had earlier assured the Court that it would address concerns regarding the situation and take proactive measures to address the issue. However, the Court's request for Army deployment in tribal areas to control the situation was declined on July 11, with the Court asserting that it has never issued such directions to the Indian Army in its 72-year history.
TAGS: Supreme Court India suo motu cognisance video Manipuri women Kuki tribe paraded naked molested Chief Justice of India CJI constitutional abuse Central government State government perpetrators communal strife violence Scheduled Tribes status Manipur High Court clashes gang-raped social media outbreak relief camps displaced persons religious worship Manipur Tribal Forum Indian Army military operations.
