The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been asked to take over the probe into the May 4 sexual violence incident in the Thoubal district of Manipur, where three women were stripped and paraded naked, and one was raped, according to an affidavit filed by Centre in the Supreme Court.
The Centre’s decision to hand over the investigation to the CBI came on the eve of a Supreme Court hearing on the case. Centre said in the affidavit that the trial should be shifted outside the State and completed within six months of filing the chargesheet.
Calling the incident “unfortunate and unacceptable,” it said “justice should be seen to be done” in such a heinous offence, so that “it has a deterrent effect throughout the nation with respect to crimes against women.”
“This is one of the reasons why the Central Government [with consent from the State Government] has taken a decision to entrust the investigation to an independent investigating agency i.e. CBI,” it said.
Meanwhile, violence continued in the State on the day, 85 days after ethnic violence erupted, as one person was killed in a gunfight between two groups in the Kangvai area of Churachandpur district.
According to the affidavit filed by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla in SC, the Manipur government wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday, recommending the shifting of the probe to the CBI.
A video of the Thoubal incident had gone viral last week, leading to massive outrage and persistent calls by Opposition parties to discuss the situation in Manipur in Parliament.
Seven accused persons, including a juvenile, have been arrested by the Manipur police in the case so far. In total, 14 suspects have been identified. The accused who filmed the video on his phone was arrested soon after the video surfaced on social media on July 19, more than 70 days after the incident took place. His phone has been seized.
The affidavit stated that the State Government has formulated rehabilitative measures for the victims, including counselling from a trained professional, shelter at a place of choice maintaining secrecy and security, arrangement for education and suitable job to the victims/next of kin (NoK) subject to willingness and suitability.
To prevent the repetition of such incidents reporting all such cases to the Director General of Police by the Police Station in charge of the jurisdiction has been made mandatory. “A suitable reward for reporting such incidents and for providing information leading to the arrest of the absconding culprits will also be given. It is submitted that anonymity and security of whistleblowers/ providers of information will also be ensured by the State Government.”
It said, “due to resistance from Civil Society Organisations in Churachandpur, victims could not be approached by State authorities physically or telephonically till date.”
“We have some leads and will soon make more arrests in the case,” a senior Manipur police officer said.
It said that 13,782 persons have already been detained/bound down for violating curfew, other laws etc. “There is a proposal for aerial monitoring using drones to prevent any crowd gathering and swift action to disperse the crowds. Video recordings of any crowds will be made to ensure that lawbreakers are apprehended at the earliest. The State Government has been advised for the trial of the accused by Fast Track Courts.”
Gunfight incident
A 30-year-old man was killed in Churachandpur amid an intense gunfight between two groups in the Kangvai area, in the<SU> foothills bordering Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts. The exchange of fire, which started in the early hours of Thursday, continued till late in the evening. The area, which has seen frequent violence since May 3, has the presence of a large number of Central security forces and the army. A source said that the Central forces were trying to diffuse the situation.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) said that the deceased, identified as Lunminthang, was a resident of S. Bolkot village. The ITLF added that three others had been injured in the incident.
More than 4,000 weapons and lakhs of rounds of ammunition have been looted from police armouries since the ethnic violence between the Kuki and Meitei communities erupted in the State on May 3.
The presence of large numbers of sophisticated weapons in the possession of common people is a cause of concern, as the arms are being used by civilians to attack each other. Just over 1,600 weapons have been recovered or surrendered by the members of the public so far.
Around 35,000 Central security forces, including the army, have been deployed in the State.<SU>More than 140 persons have been killed and more than 54,000 displaced in the violence.
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