Centre Govt orders CBI probe into Manipur sexual assault case & govt to seek trial outside state

The BJP-led government at the Centre and in Manipur is facing severe criticism over the handling of a viral video case, which has shaken the state and sparked tensions. In response to the growing outcry, the Union home ministry has taken significant steps to address the situation.

The CBI will probe the case of sexual assault on two women who were stripped and paraded by a mob in Manipur, PTI quoted a top government functionary as saying on Thursday, asserting that no effort will be spared to ensure stringent action against the accused in all heinous crimes in the state hit by ethnic violence.

The government will seek the trial of the case, the details of which came out in the open last week through the leak of the video of the horrific incident, in Assam, the official said.

The person who filmed the incident has been arrested and his mobile phone seized, the official said, adding the recovery of the mobile will also establish the sequence of events, including the leakage of the video.

The Government is also likely to move the Supreme Court on Friday for holding the trial outside Manipur.

The official also said that the Union Home Ministry is in touch with both Meitei and Kuki groups and talks are in an advanced stage to restore normalcy in the state.

According to reports from news agencies on Thursday, the Union home ministry has decided to refer the case of sexual assault on two women to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The disturbing video shows three women being stripped and paraded in Manipur, and it came to light on July 19, several weeks after the incident occurred. The video's emergence further intensified the unrest in the state, leading to disruptions during Parliament's monsoon session.

The First Information Report (FIR) filed in the case indicates that one of the women from a family was gang-raped, while a mob of 800-1000 men brutally killed her brother and father on May 4. The person responsible for shooting the video has been apprehended, and the mobile phone used for recording has been recovered, as per reports quoting sources familiar with the matter.

 

To ensure a fair trial and address the volatile situation, the government plans to file an affidavit requesting the Supreme Court to conduct the trial outside strife-torn Manipur. This move aims to avoid potential conflicts and ensure impartial proceedings.

 

The ethnic clashes that initially erupted on May 3 were triggered by a protest march conducted by members of the Kuki community. The demonstration was in response to an order by the Manipur high court, which recommended including the Meiteis, the dominant community comprising 53% of the population, in the scheduled tribe list. The subsequent nearly three-month-long violence in Manipur has tragically claimed over 160 lives.

 

In the wake of the viral video, Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his more than two months of public silence on the deadly ethnic clashes. He expressed strong condemnation for the assaults on the two women, deeming them unforgivable. However, the prime minister did not explicitly address the broader violence. This stance has led to demands from the Congress-led opposition for a statement by the prime minister in Parliament concerning the Manipur issue, followed by discussions in both Houses.

 

The situation remains tense in Manipur, but the decision to involve the CBI and seek a trial outside the state signifies the government's commitment to ensuring justice for the victims and restoring normalcy in the region.

 

Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma