TW: Mention of sexual violence
The Supreme Court of India, on Thursday, July 20, took suo motu cognisance of the sexual assaults happening in violence-hit Manipur and directed the Union and Manipur state governments to take immediate steps with regard to the videos of women being sexually assaulted. On Wednesday, videos of two women stripped naked and paraded towards a field by a mob of men, emerged on social media. The Scroll reported that the women were sexually assaulted in an open field.
Stating that the visuals were deeply disturbing, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said that “using women as an instrument” in an area of communal strife to perpetuate gender violence was unacceptable. “We are of the view that the court must be apprised of the steps taken by the government so that perpetrators are booked for such violence. What is portrayed in the media and visuals which appeared shows gross constitutional violation, and infraction of human life using women as instruments of perpetrated violence is against constitutional democracy,” the court said and posted the matter to be heard on Friday.
According to the Scroll report, the visuals are from B Phainom village in Kangpokpi district of Manipur. According to a Zero First Information Report filed by Saikul police, charges of rape and murder were filed against “800 to 1000 unknown miscreants”. A zero FIR can be filed in any station, and need not fall under the jurisdiction of where the crime happened. However, no arrests have been made yet.