A new Petition has been filed in Supreme Court regarding Manipur Riots. This petition is focused on incidents of sexual harassment and violence against women in the region. The petitioner seeks to Constitute an independent expert committee, led by a former Supreme Court judge, to conduct a thorough investigation into these untoward occurrences. The petition emphasises the urgency of completing all investigations within four weeks and calls for a current report on the state of law and order in Manipur.
Advocate Vishal Tiwari filed the petition, which includes a request for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate all the 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 law enforcement agencies.
Previously, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of a viral video depicting sexual crimes against women and asked the Central government and the Manipur government for an account of the measures taken to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, expressed deep concern and dissatisfaction regarding the incident, summoning the Attorney General, R Venkataramani and SG Tushar Mehta. He warned the governments to take appropriate action promptly; otherwise, 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 timeliness of the video is irrelevant; the fact remains that atrocities have been committed against women in Manipur.