New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Centre and questioned the delay in registering an FIR in the Manipur sexual assault case, in which two women were allegedly paraded naked by a mob.
A three-judge bench of the Apex Court, headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chadrachud, asked the government why the police took 14 days to register the zero FIR.
“Inform us what kind of legal aid you are providing to victims,” the Apex Court asked the Centre and the state government.
The incident took place on May 4, but the FIR was not registered until May 18.
The Top Court, hearing a batch of petitions related to violence in Manipur, said that whatever happened in the northeastern state cannot be justified by saying that it happens elsewhere in the country.
The Apex Court termed the offence against Manipur women, as ‘horrendous’, and said that it does not want it to be handled by state police.
The top court also questioned the Manipur government’s response to the incident and asked what steps were being taken to ensure that such violence does not happen again.
The top court’s questions were also echoed by several intervenors who appeared in the hearing. These intervenors included lawyers, women’s rights activists, and representatives of civil society organizations.
The intervenors argued that the delay in registering the FIR was a serious miscarriage of justice and that the Manipur government had failed to take adequate steps to protect the victims.
They also argued that the case should be transferred outside of Manipur, in order to ensure that the victims receive a fair trial.
The court will continue hearing the case on Tuesday.