Manipur: Centre Transfers Case Of Women Being Paraded Naked To CBI, Holding Talks With Meitei And Kuki Communities

The Centre has transferred the case related to the viral video of women being paraded naked in Manipur to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in an affidavit to the Supreme Court on Thursday. 

Saying it has "zero tolerance" towards crimes against women, the Centre has also pleaded the Supreme Court to transfer the case out of Manipur. The Centre looks forward to the conclusion of the trial within six months of the CBI filing the charge sheet in the case. 

Manipur has been in the grips of ethnic violence between the state's Meitei and tribal communities since May 3. At least 150 people have been killed and several thousands were disrupted. Houses, places of worship, and political establishments have come under attacks in nearly three months of strife in the state. Last week, a video surfaced that showed two tribal women being paraded naked and groped by a mob. The incident led to nationwide outrage and condemnation. 

The incident in the viral video took place on May 4, a day after violence erupted between the Meitei and tribal communities. Seven persons, including the one who made that video, have been arrested in the case so far. The mobile phone used to make the video has also been recovered. 

In a separate development, the Centre has said that it's holding talks with the Meitei and Kuki communities. A senior government functionary said there is "gulf of distrust" between the two communities and the government is working to bridge it.

Centre seeks time-bound trial in Manipur video case

In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court through Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the Government of Manipur had requested for a CBI investigation into the viral video case and the Centre accepted it within a day.

Earlier on June 20, the Supreme Court took note of the incident and said it was "deeply disturbed" by the video and the use of women as instruments for perpetrating violence was "simply unacceptable in a constitutional democracy". A bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud had directed the Centre and the Manipur government to take immediate remedial, rehabilitative, and preventive steps and inform it of the action taken.

The affidavit on Thursday was filed in response to the SC's directive. 

"The Government of Manipur vide letter dated 26.07.2023 has recommended to Secretary, DOP&T for entrusting the case to CBI for further investigation, which has been duly recommended to Secretary, DOP&T by MHA vide letter dated 27.07.2023. The investigation shall, thus, be transferred to the CBI," said the Centre's affidavit, as per PTI, adding that Centre believed the investigation should be completed at the earliest and the trial be also conducted in a time-bound manner "which must take place outside Manipur".

"The central government, therefore, makes a specific request that the entire case, including trial of the offence in question, be ordered to be transferred by this court to any state outside the state of Manipur. The power to transfer the case/trial outside any state is only with this court and, therefore, the central government is making this request to this court to pass such an order with a further direction to conclude the trial within a period of six months from the date of the filing of charge sheet by the CBI," said the Centre, as per PTI. 

Psychologist, special investigation officer appointed: Centre lists steps taken

The Centre in its affidavit said that an Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP)-rank officer has been entrusted to investigate the case under the supervision of senior official and several police teams have been formed at various locations to arrest identified culprits.

"The approach of the central government is of zero tolerance towards any crimes against women. The central government considers the offences like the present one to be too heinous which deserve to be taken not only with the seriousness it deserves but justice should be seen to be done so that it has a deterrent effect throughout the nation with respect to crimes against women," said the Centre, as per PTI.

As remedial measures, the Centre said the Manipur government has formed "district psychological support teams for providing mental health intervention at various relief camps", said the affidavit.

"An all-women team of one senior special (psychiatrist), one specialist (psychiatry) and one psychologist from the district hospital in Churachandpur was deputed to assist the victims," said the affidavit, adding that the Centre will also provide the services of experts from its medical institutions as per requirement and legal aid has also been offered to the victims through the District Legal Services Authority.

"To prevent repetition of such incidents, reporting of all such cases to the Director General of Police (DGP) by the police station in-charge of the jurisdiction has been made mandatory," said the affidavit, adding that one SP-rank officer will monitor these investigations under the direct supervision of the DGP.

The affidavit also said that a suitable reward for reporting such incidents and for providing information leading to the arrest of the absconding culprits will also be given, reported PTI.

The Supreme Court bench will hear petitions related to Manipur violence on Friday.

Holding talks with both communities, bridging mutual distrust: Centre 

A senior government functionary has said that there exists "gulf of distrust" between the two communities and the Centre is working to bridge it. 

The senior functionary also said that the Centre is holding talks with both the Meitei and tribal communities. 

In Manipur, ethnic violence broke out between the largely-Hindu Meiteis and largely-Christian tribal Kukis on May 3 after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was held in the tribal hill districts. The march was held in protest to the proposed scheduled tribe (ST) status to the Meitei commodity. Around 150 people have been killed in the violence since and around 50,000 were displaced. 

A senior government functionary told PTI that "peace and normalcy will be restored soon through ongoing talks with the two warring communities -- Meiteis and Kukis" and "government agencies have been holding separate talks with Meitei and Kuki groups to listen to them and narrow down their demands to what can be worked on before all parties sit together to help restore peace and normalcy". 

The senior functionary further said that six rounds of talks have been held so far separately with each side.