Manipur horrific video: 'Why did police take 14 days to file zero FIR,' SC asks govt
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that government has nothing to hide and the court can monitor the situation. "Something coming from here or there will be hazardous."
- Jul 31, 2023,
- Updated Aug 1, 2023 4:32 PM IST
The Supreme Court, which is hearing pleas related to two tribal women who were paraded naked in Manipur on May 4, on Monday asked the government why the police took 14 days to register the zero FIR. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that government has nothing to hide and the court can monitor the situation. "Something coming from here or there will be hazardous."
The apex court questioned why the FIR was registered on May 18 when the incident happened on May 4. "What were the police doing from May 4 to May 18? The incident came to light that women are being paraded naked and at least two were raped. What were the police doing?" the court asked.
CJI DY Chandrachud said there cannot be any justification for registering a zero FIR. "What stood in the way of immediately registering an FIR? "Three women were paraded and two were sexually assaulted," he said.
The CJI also asked the SG how many cases were registered as zero FIRs. To this, the SG said whenever police receive information, zero FIR is registered irrespective of location and then transferred to the territorial police station.
The CJI then asked the SG to inform the court how many such zero FIR have been registered. "...are there any 156(3) offences, what kind of legal aid are we providing, also is this the only standalone incident where there is the perpetration of violence against women...how many such FIRs are there," he asked.
The chief justice also said that there is also a great need to have a healing touch in the state of Manipur. "The violence is going unabated and the court-appointed team sends a message that the highest court has taken note of.. the judges and officers can be appointed to go who can provide a dispassionate picture of what is happening on the ground."
A lawyer mentioned a plea saying what happened in Manipur, similar incidents also happened in West Bengal and Rajasthan. A video came out of a Panchayat candidate who was stripped and paraded naked in West Bengal. Daughters pan India need to be protected.
To this, CJI Chandrachud told the lawyer that undoubtedly there are crimes that were taking place against women across the country, that is our social reality. "We are dealing with an unprecedented magnitude of violence against women in communal and sectarian strife. We cannot justify what happened in Manipur by saying that this and this happened elsewhere. Are you saying protect all women or don't protect anyone?"
The Supreme Court, which is hearing pleas related to two tribal women who were paraded naked in Manipur on May 4, on Monday asked the government why the police took 14 days to register the zero FIR. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that government has nothing to hide and the court can monitor the situation. "Something coming from here or there will be hazardous."
The apex court questioned why the FIR was registered on May 18 when the incident happened on May 4. "What were the police doing from May 4 to May 18? The incident came to light that women are being paraded naked and at least two were raped. What were the police doing?" the court asked.
CJI DY Chandrachud said there cannot be any justification for registering a zero FIR. "What stood in the way of immediately registering an FIR? "Three women were paraded and two were sexually assaulted," he said.
The CJI also asked the SG how many cases were registered as zero FIRs. To this, the SG said whenever police receive information, zero FIR is registered irrespective of location and then transferred to the territorial police station.
The CJI then asked the SG to inform the court how many such zero FIR have been registered. "...are there any 156(3) offences, what kind of legal aid are we providing, also is this the only standalone incident where there is the perpetration of violence against women...how many such FIRs are there," he asked.
The chief justice also said that there is also a great need to have a healing touch in the state of Manipur. "The violence is going unabated and the court-appointed team sends a message that the highest court has taken note of.. the judges and officers can be appointed to go who can provide a dispassionate picture of what is happening on the ground."
A lawyer mentioned a plea saying what happened in Manipur, similar incidents also happened in West Bengal and Rajasthan. A video came out of a Panchayat candidate who was stripped and paraded naked in West Bengal. Daughters pan India need to be protected.
To this, CJI Chandrachud told the lawyer that undoubtedly there are crimes that were taking place against women across the country, that is our social reality. "We are dealing with an unprecedented magnitude of violence against women in communal and sectarian strife. We cannot justify what happened in Manipur by saying that this and this happened elsewhere. Are you saying protect all women or don't protect anyone?"