A new petition has been filed in the Supreme Court regarding the Manipur riots and the sexual harassment and violence unleashed against the women in the region. The petitioner seeks an independent expert committee, led by a former Supreme Court judge, to conduct a thorough investigation into these incidents within four weeks.
Advocate Vishal Tiwari filed the petition, which calls for CBI investigation into all these violence-related cases. The plea also demands that state agencies be held accountable for neglecting their duties, as outlined in the case of Lalita Kumari.
The petitioner highlights the alarming increase in cases of sexual assault, rape, molestation, firing, bomb blasts, and riots in Manipur, attributing these incidents to the lack of active involvement and reform efforts by the law enforcement agencies. Previously, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of a viral video depicting sexual crimes against women and asked the Centre and the Manipur government for an account of the measures taken to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud had also expressed deep concern and dissatisfaction regarding the incident, summoning the Attorney General R Venkataramani and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. He warned the governments to take appropriate action promptly, failing which the court would intervene.
The CJI condemned the incident as “completely unacceptable” and highlighted the use of women as instruments in communal conflicts, perpetuating gender-based violence, which constitutes a serious violation of human rights. He emphasised that the timing of the video is irrelevant but the fact remains that atrocities have been committed against women in Manipur.