The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an FIR to take over the probe into the alleged sexual assault incident in Manipur’s Thoubal district, where three women were stripped and paraded naked. A video purportedly shot on May 4, showing the two women being paraded naked, went viral earlier this month, resulting in a massive uproar across the country.
The central agency has registered a case for murder, gang rape, outraging modesty, and criminal assault, under Indian Penal Code (IPC) and IT Act.
The CBI has taken over the FIR registered by the Manipur Police against unidentified people in accordance with its procedure. The federal agency had already stationed its Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the northeastern state under a DIG-rank officer.
The CBI will dispatch some more women officers, besides forensic experts, to probe the case, the officials said.
The move came after the Centre’s decision to hand over the investigation to the CBI. The step has been taken with the consent of the State Government of Manipur.
The Centre has also made a request to the Supreme Court to transfer the trial of the incident outside of Manipur, seeking directions for fast-tracking it within six months of the chargesheet being filed. Seven main accused in the case have been arrested.
According to a top government source, the man who shot the strip-and-parade horror, which went viral recently, has been caught and his phone seized.
The Centre is speaking to both communities– Kuki and Meitei–in Manipur and is hopeful to get them on the same table soon, the source said.
Talks are at an advanced stage and the government is quite close to a joint meeting with both groups, the source said. Six rounds of talks have been held with each side separately.
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