'Complete Breakdown of Constitutional Machinery': SC Summons Violence-hit Manipur's Top Cop

The Supreme Court on Tuesday made strong observations on violence-hit Manipur and said there is no law and order in the state.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said there is a complete breakdown of constitutional machinery in the state.

The bench asked the Manipur DGP to be present before the court personally on Monday when it hears a clutch of petitions on the mayhem in the northeastern state

The apex court, which had called “deeply disturbing” the May 4 video of two women being paraded naked, also sought details from the state government about the date of occurrence of the incident and registration of ‘zero FIR’ and regular FIR in the case.

“The investigation is so lethargic, FIRs are registered after so long, arrests not made, statements not recorded…There is a complete breakdown of law and order and constitutional machinery in the state,” a bench headed by Chandrachud remarked orally.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Manipur government, told the bench the state police lodged a ‘zero’ FIR in the case of stripping and parading of the two women naked.

Mehta told the top court the Manipur police have arrested seven people, including a juvenile, in the video case.

It appears that the state police recorded the statement of the women after the video surfaced, Mehta told the bench.

A 26-second video of the May 4 incident went viral on July 19. The video shows two women being stripped naked and paraded by a strong mob of 1,000. One of the women in the video is the wife of an ex-Armyman, who served as a subedar in the Assam Regiment and had even fought in the Kargil War.

Manipur Violence

More than 160 people have lost their lives, and several have been injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mostly in the hill districts.

(With PTI inputs)