Editor's Pick: SC asks for break-up of 6,000 FIRs on Manipur clashes

The Supreme Court on Monday said it needed a complete breakdown of the “approximately 6,000 first information reports [FIRs]” the Manipur government is said to have registered during the ethnic clashes in the State, including on cases of murder, rape, arson and crimes against women. A three-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, expressed surprise that the Centre and the State was groping in the dark for facts about the crimes, which are “public knowledge reported widely in the national media”. The court was shocked to know that the police took 14 days to register even a “zero FIR” on the sexual assault and gang rape of two women in Thoubal district on May 4. “What were the police doing from May 4 to May 18? The incident came to light involving three women paraded naked in the presence of a mob. At least, two of them were raped. What were the police doing for 14 days?” the Chief Justice asked. The two women, represented by advocate Kapil Sibal, have approached the SC, objecting to the Centre and the State’s decision to transfer the case to the CBI. Mr. Sibal alleged “collaboration” between the State police and the mob. He said the police took them towards the crowd and abandoned them to their fate. The court suggested constituting a separate high-powered committee of neutral persons. The SC also said the “systemic” and “unprecedented magnitude” of sexual violence committed against women in Manipur amid ethnic clashes cannot be excused on the ground that crimes happened to women in other parts of the country too. The Bench was dealing with an application that there were women in West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Kerala, all of which happened to be non-BJP-ruled States, who were victims of crimes. Advocate Bansuri Swaraj argued that any mechanism evolved by the SC to bring justice to the women of Manipur should be extended to the women victims of these States. “The only difference is this… Undoubtedly, there are crimes taking place against women all over the country. That is part of our social reality. However, in Manipur, we are dealing with something which is of an unprecedented magnitude, mainly crimes and the perpetration of violence in a situation of communal and sectarian strife,” the Chief Justice said. Meanwhile, a 21-year-old woman who was among the two women stripped, paraded, gang-raped and filmed by a mob in Thoubal has said in a statement to the police that they had sought refuge in a police vehicle parked nearby, but the two policemen present initially refused to help them and later ‘disappeared from the spot’ after driving them towards a 1,000-member mob. 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[Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( SC asks for break-up of 6,000 FIRs on Manipur clashes The Supreme Court on Monday said it needed a [complete breakdown of the “approximately 6,000 first information reports [FIRs]]( the Manipur government is said to have registered during the ethnic clashes in the State, including on cases of murder, rape, arson and [crimes against women](. A three-judge Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, expressed surprise that the Centre and the State was groping in the dark for facts about the crimes, which are “public knowledge reported widely in the national media”. The court was shocked to know that the police took 14 days to [register even a “zero FIR” on the sexual assault and gang rape of two women]( in Thoubal district on May 4. “What were the police doing from May 4 to May 18? The incident came to light involving three women paraded naked in the presence of a mob. At least, two of them were raped. What were the police doing for 14 days?” the Chief Justice asked. The two women, represented by advocate Kapil Sibal, have [approached the SC, objecting to the Centre and the State’s decision to transfer the case to the CBI](. Mr. Sibal alleged “collaboration” between the State police and the mob. He said the police took them towards the crowd and abandoned them to their fate. The court suggested constituting a separate high-powered committee of neutral persons. The SC also said the “systemic” and “unprecedented magnitude” of sexual [violence committed against women in Manipur amid ethnic clashes]( cannot be excused on the ground that crimes happened to women in other parts of the country too. The Bench was dealing with an application that there were women in West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Kerala, all of which happened to be non-BJP-ruled States, who were victims of crimes. Advocate Bansuri Swaraj argued that any mechanism evolved by the SC to bring justice to the women of Manipur should be extended to the women victims of these States. “The only difference is this… Undoubtedly, there are crimes taking place against women all over the country. That is part of our social reality. However, in Manipur, we are dealing with something which is of an unprecedented magnitude, mainly crimes and the perpetration of violence in a situation of communal and sectarian strife,” the Chief Justice said. Meanwhile, a 21-year-old woman who was among the two [women stripped, paraded, gang-raped and filmed by a mob in Thoubal]( has said in a statement to the police that they had [sought refuge in a police vehicle parked nearby, but the two policemen present initially refused to help them and later ‘disappeared from the spot’]( driving them towards a 1,000-member mob. 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